October 08, 2026
DEVELOPING: Second Polish School Knife Attack in Two Days Kills Caretaker; Copycat Fears Rise
Headline card by The Night Desk
What happened
LESZCZYDOL-NOWINY, Poland — A 15-year-old former pupil wearing a helmet-mounted camera walked into a primary school with three knives around 9 a.m. Thursday and killed a 37-year-old woman who worked as a caretaker, then injured the principal and a teacher who tried to restrain him.
She was the first person attacked, police spokesperson Katarzyna Kucharska told broadcaster TVN24. The principal heard the screams and attempted to hold the attacker down, assisted by a teacher — both were injured. The caretaker died despite resuscitation efforts. The Interior Ministry said the lives of the two injured were not in danger.
Police say the attacker was a former pupil of the primary school and is currently a student at a vocational school. The motive is not known. Officials said it was not clear whether the attack was actually filmed.
A grim pattern
It was the second school stabbing in Poland in two days. On Wednesday, a 19-year-old wounded 10 people — including himself — in an attack at a school in Ostroleka, in northeastern Poland. In a separate incident in Sierpc, police detained a 17-year-old who had spoken about plans to do "something dangerous" on school grounds; teachers alerted police, who found two knives in his possession, and data from his devices revealed online searches about orchestrating a violent attack.
Prime Minister Donald Tusk called an emergency meeting. "We fear a grim copycat phenomenon," he said, ordering police to visit schools daily. A police spokesperson said authorities had information the incidents could be related to an internet challenge and that this was being investigated.
This is a developing story. The Night Desk will update this article as the investigation unfolds.
Source: Reuters — read the original report
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