Polish Government Backtracks on Claims Regarding Kraków Shooter's Motive

WARSAW — The Polish government has issued a clarification regarding public statements made by Interior Minister Marcin Kierwiński, who had linked the gunman responsible for Saturday's mass shooting in Kraków to far-right extremist ideology. Official spokespersons and prosecutors stated on Monday that the motive behind the attack remains unconfirmed.

Government spokesman Adam Szłapka told television broadcaster TVN24 on Monday that ministers should refrain from commenting on ongoing investigations until security services possess complete information. Szłapka acknowledged that such premature statements generate unnecessary questions and confirmed that Kierwiński would exercise restraint in future briefings.

The clarification follows public statements made by Kierwiński hours after the attack on Kraków's central market square, in which a 24-year-old gunman opened fire, killing six people and injuring several others. During a press conference on Saturday, the interior minister claimed that initial evidence indicated the suspect held radical views and was influenced by far-right ideologies. Kierwiński reiterated on Sunday that this remained a primary hypothesis under police review, without withdrawing the assessment.

Subsequent findings by law enforcement and investigative reporters have raised doubts regarding the suspect's alleged political affiliations. Daily newspaper Rzeczpospolita reported, citing police sources, that investigators were examining potential ultra-left sympathies. Media outlet Super Express reported that an analysis of the suspect's digital footprint revealed no connections to right-wing political parties or far-right extremist groups.

Local authorities and judicial officials have also questioned the speed of the initial political assessment. Kraków Mayor Łukasz Gibała told radio station RMF FM that representatives from security agencies had informed him that classifying the perpetrator's ideology so quickly was premature.

Prosecution spokesman Przemysław Nowak confirmed on Monday that the shooter's underlying motivation remains undetermined. A search of the suspect's residence yielded no clear symbols or materials associated with either far-right or far-left movements. The 24-year-old gunman died in hospital on Monday morning from injuries sustained during the incident, with the formal investigation into his background continuing.

Written by Thorben Thiede thorben.thiede@alpineweekly.com