9 injured in knife attack at school and nearby park in Poland
Nine people, including students and teachers, were injured in a knife attack at a school and a nearby park in Poland, according to local media. A student was arrested, and a homemade explosive device was reportedly found in his backpack.
The attack happened at about 11:05 a.m. on Wednesday at Vocational School Complex No. 4 in Ostrołęka, north of Warsaw. Police said the attacker entered the building, attacked students and teachers, then ran out of the school.
Five students, two teachers and two bystanders who were in a nearby park were injured, according to TVN24. The outlet reported that the attacker targeted fourth-year students. Police initially said seven people may have been wounded.
“He entered the school building with a dangerous weapon and attacked students and teachers,” prosecutor’s office spokesperson Elżbieta Łukasiewicz said, according to TVN24.
Part of the school was evacuated during the attack, while students who remained inside locked themselves in classrooms.
The suspect, identified by prosecutors as 19-year-old Jakub Z., was a student at the school, according to police spokesperson Tomasz Żerański. Officers arrested him near the city beach, about 400 to 500 meters (1,300 to 1,600 feet) from the school, less than half an hour after the attack.
The suspect had injured himself and was taken to a hospital, according to TVN24. The outlet reported that he had since been discharged.
Police also secured the suspect’s backpack outside the school. Bomb disposal officers removed it to a safe location for examination. TVN24 reported that it contained a homemade explosive device.
The local prosecutor’s office has opened an attempted murder investigation. Police are interviewing witnesses, securing surveillance footage and examining the scene with a forensic technician.
