Polish police announced Saturday the detention of 76 individuals and the inspection of nearly 50,000 schools nationwide, part of a sweeping effort to prevent further violence after two school attacks earlier this week.
On Friday, schools nationwide heightened security measures. Some suspended classes, many parents kept children home, and police patrols were deployed to educational facilities following two attacks earlier in the week that left one person dead and several wounded, including children.
On Wednesday, a 19-year-old student at a vocational school in the central Mazovian province attacked students, teachers, and passersby with a sharp object, injuring nine before being arrested nearby after fleeing. The next day, a 15-year-old fatally stabbed a school custodian and wounded two others in a knife attack at his former school in the same province.
Both assaults were carried out by Polish nationals, shocking a country where school violence by minors has been virtually unheard of.
By Thursday night, rumors circulated in parents’ online groups and mainstream media suggesting the attacks were coordinated and warning of further violence on a day dubbed “Bloody Friday.”
Fifty-nine schools across Poland preemptively suspended classes on Friday, most in the Mazovian district surrounding Warsaw. School administrators announced enhanced security, including additional staff at entrances and voluntary bag checks.
“There will be no compromise here. The safety of our youth is paramount,” Interior Minister Marcin Kierwiński said.
Among those detained Friday were a 14-year-old boy from central Warsaw found with a concealed-blade knife and 11 firecrackers, and a 16-year-old from another district carrying a butterfly knife. Others were apprehended for posting photos of weapons online or making threats against peers and schools.
The government stated it found no evidence of an internet challenge encouraging school attacks, nor any official link between the two incidents. Both perpetrators remain in custody.
Parents across Poland are now grappling with how to discuss school violence with their children. Authorities pledged to maintain heightened security and organize crisis training, while the government vowed to revive efforts to pass legislation blocking harmful online content.
“Had that juvenile attacker streamed the crime online today, we would have been powerless to block it, as we lack the necessary legal tools,” Prime Minister Donald Tusk said.
After wounding three adults in Thursday’s attack, the 15-year-old—who wore a camera to record his actions—was overpowered by school director Krzysztof Ochmański. Ochmański later told reporters the boy appeared to grasp the gravity of his actions, stating he no longer wished to continue.
“Once I established contact, he asked for help,” Ochmański recounted. “It reached a point where he asked for a hug.”
