Second School Knife Attack in Poland in Two Days Leaves One Dead, Two Hurt

Poland recorded two knife attacks at schools within 24 hours in early October 2026. On Wednesday, October 7, a 19-year-old student wounded several people at a vocational school in Ostrołęka, northeastern Poland. On Thursday, October 8, a 15-year-old former pupil killed a school caretaker and injured two staff members at a primary school in Leszczydół-Nowiny, northeast of Warsaw, according to Reuters and the news site Notes from Poland.

Thursday's attack in Leszczydół-Nowiny

The attack happened around 9 a.m. local time at a primary school in the village of Leszczydół-Nowiny, roughly 60 kilometres northeast of Warsaw, Reuters reported via Internazionale. A 15-year-old who had previously attended the school entered the building and attacked three staff members with knives. A 37-year-old woman working as the school's caretaker died from her injuries; two teachers were hurt, Reuters said. Notes from Poland reported that one teacher was hospitalised and that the school's principal subdued the attacker.

Reuters reported that the suspect was carrying three knives, one of them unusually long, and was wearing a helmet-mounted camera that he reportedly intended to use to film the attack. CNN Brasil, citing Poland's interior ministry, said the two injured adults — described as the school director and a teacher — did not sustain serious wounds and that the attacker's motive remained unclear.

Wednesday's attack in Ostrołęka

The first attack took place a few minutes after 11 a.m. on October 7 at Vocational School Complex No. 4 in Ostrołęka, according to Euronews. A 19-year-old enrolled student, identified only as Jakub Z. under Polish privacy rules, attacked students, teachers and passersby with a sharp weapon before fleeing. Police superintendent Tomasz Żerański told Euronews that officers from the force's social prevention and pathology unit were deployed to support remaining students, and that the suspect was detained near a municipal beach on the Narew River about 25 minutes after the first emergency call, having been injured and hospitalised himself.

Accounts of the number of people hurt in Ostrołęka differ. Euronews and CNN Brasil, both citing police, reported seven injured, two of them in critical condition. Notes from Poland put the figure at eight — four students, two teachers and two bystanders — and reported that the attacker also carried a homemade explosive device in his backpack that failed to fully detonate and was thrown from a window after smoke appeared. Reuters reported 10 people injured in total, including the attacker.

A third plot stopped in Sierpc

Police also intervened in a separate case in Sierpc, in Masovia province. According to Notes from Poland and Reuters, officers detained a 17-year-old after he discussed carrying out something dangerous at a school; he was found with two knives, and his devices reportedly showed internet searches on how to plan a violent attack. Notes from Poland said fellow students had reported his threats to teachers before the detention.

Government and police response

Tusk made the comment at an emergency government meeting after the Leszczydół-Nowiny attack, noting that the country was, for the first time, dealing with an attacker who wore a helmet-mounted camera apparently intending to film the assault, Reuters reported. Education Minister Barbara Nowak said authorities were seeing a radicalisation of young people and called for much greater control over online activity, according to Notes from Poland. Justice Minister Waldemar Żurek said prosecutors would ensure those responsible face legal consequences.