Date: October 7, 2026
Reporter: Emilly Jordan
A 19-year-old student was arrested on Wednesday after a knife attack at a vocational school in the northeastern Polish city of Ostrołęka left several people injured, including students and teachers, authorities said.
The attack took place at Vocational School Complex No. 4 in Ostrołęka, about 120 kilometres (75 miles) northeast of Warsaw. Police said the suspect was a student at the school and was detained shortly after the attack as he attempted to flee the area.
Initial reports from police said seven people had been injured, although officials emphasized that the figure was preliminary and could change as emergency services assessed the victims. Later reports from Polish authorities put the number at eight or 10 injured, including the suspect, reflecting the developing nature of the incident. Reuters later reported that the town's mayor said 10 people had been injured, including five students, two teachers, two bystanders and the suspect, who had apparently injured himself.
Police said the attacker used a sharp object. Local reports later identified the weapon as a machete, although authorities were continuing to investigate the circumstances of the attack. The motive was not immediately known.
Emergency services rushed to the school after the attack, which occurred at around 11 a.m. local time. Some students barricaded themselves inside classrooms for protection before being evacuated, according to firefighters.
The suspect fled the school grounds but was arrested less than a kilometre away near a riverbank. Police released an image showing officers detaining a man in a wooded area. Authorities said the suspect had injuries when he was arrested and was taken to hospital for treatment. Prosecutors later said the injuries appeared to have been self-inflicted.
Several of the victims were transported to hospital. Authorities initially said none of the injuries was life-threatening, although other reports indicated that at least one or two victims were seriously injured. Some injured people were transported by helicopter for medical treatment.
A suspicious backpack found at the school was also examined by bomb-disposal specialists. Authorities had not immediately disclosed whether anything dangerous was found inside the bag.
Ostrołęka Mayor Paweł Niewiadomski said the situation had been brought under control and that the affected students and others involved would receive psychological support. Local authorities also temporarily closed schools in the city and introduced additional security measures while the investigation continued.
The attack has drawn attention in Poland because serious attacks at schools are relatively uncommon in the country. A separate stabbing at a Catholic convent in southeastern Poland last month left one person dead and four others injured, with police detaining a suspect in that case.
Authorities have not announced a motive for Wednesday's attack, and investigators were continuing to establish exactly what happened inside and around the school. Police and prosecutors are expected to determine the circumstances of the assault, the weapon used and whether the suspect acted alone.
The incident has also prompted renewed concerns about security at schools and other educational institutions, although officials have not indicated that the attack was connected to any wider threat.
As the investigation continues, Polish authorities have urged students, parents and school staff to remain calm and follow instructions from emergency services. The suspect remains in police custody while receiving medical attention, and the investigation into the attack is ongoing.