One Dead, Two Injured in Polish School Stabbing; PM Blames Video Games
A 15-year-old former student fatally stabbed a school caretaker and injured two others in the second school attack in Poland within two days.
One person was killed and two others were injured in a knife attack at a Polish primary school on Thursday, perpetrated by a 15-year-old former pupil. The attack occurred at approximately 8 a.m. local time in Leszczydol-Nowiny, northeast of Warsaw. The deceased has been identified as a 37-year-old female caretaker.
Authorities reported that the two injured individuals' lives are not in danger. The attacker, who was a former student of the school and is currently attending a vocational school, was apprehended at the scene. He was found to be carrying three knives. Police spokesperson Katarzyna Kucharska stated that the motive for the attack is currently unknown.
This incident follows a separate attack on Wednesday in Ostroleka, a city in northeastern Poland, where a 19-year-old wounded 10 people, including himself, at a vocational school. The suspect in that incident was detained shortly after fleeing the scene and was reportedly injured due to self-mutilation.
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk addressed the incidents, suggesting that social media and video games contribute to a "cult of violence" that influences adolescents. "Teenagers have fallen under the influence of the internet, video games, and content that promotes pure violence," Tusk stated at a press conference. "Unfortunately, it has also reached Poland."
Inspector Katarzyna Nowak, director of communications for national police, noted a trend of younger offenders becoming involved in serious crimes across Europe. "Over the past few months in Poland, we have seen arrests of teenagers who were preparing to carry out attacks," Nowak said. "So, this is indeed a problem we face, and one we must acknowledge."
In a related incident on Wednesday, a 17-year-old was detained in Sierpc after expressing intentions to commit a "dangerous" act at a school. Police found two knives in his possession, and data from electronic devices indicated online searches related to orchestrating violent events.
Following Thursday's attack, Prime Minister Tusk convened an emergency government meeting. The head teacher of the primary school, Krzysztof Ochmanski, recounted hearing a scream and entering the corridor, where he was subsequently wounded by the attacker. He managed to restrain the assailant before police arrived.
In the Wednesday attack in Ostroleka, five students, two teachers, and two passersby were injured. While most injuries were not life-threatening, one person sustained serious wounds. The suspect, identified as Jakub Z., was arrested on a riverbank near the school. Investigations into the motives and specific weapons used in both incidents are ongoing.