Polish justice minister says Krakow shooter researched Norwegian neo-Nazi Anders Behring Breivik

Poland's justice minister Waldemar Zurek said the suspect in the November 7 Krakow main-square shooting had visited websites about Norwegian white-supremacist Anders Behring Breivik, indicating a strong right-wing extremist motive. The 24-year-old factory worker Michal Oksinski, who opened fire from his car and killed six people, was also found with a Gadsden flag and a silencer in the vehicle, the minister added.

Oksinski died in hospital on Monday after being shot and arrested by police minutes after the attack. Police also discovered the bodies of his father, mother and sister at the family home, whom officials believe he also killed.

The incident has sparked a political dispute. Interior Minister Marcin Kierwinski said the shooter was influenced by far-right ideology, a claim that Law and Justice (PiS) leader Jaroslaw Kaczynski called a “blatant lie.” PiS lawmaker Michal Wojcik told Reuters he was “outraged” by Zurek’s comments and accused government representatives of acting dishonestly toward the international community. Kierwinski said he would await investigators’ findings before revising his statements.