A 32-year-old man shot three people and then barricaded himself in the house with his brother's partner and her children. After a few hours, the woman managed to escape and call for help. When the police entered the building, the attacker was dead – he probably committed suicide. The prosecutor's office questioned the hostage who managed to free herself.
The woman was questioned on Monday, eight days after the incident. According to prosecutor Stanisław Bar, press spokesman for the District Prosecutor's Office in Opole, her testimony confirmed the investigators' findings so far.
– They did not shed new light on the issue of relations in this family, these relations were at least correct – he said. He noted that the prosecutor's office does not disclose details of the testimony due to the nature of the case.
When asked whether, according to the hostage's testimony, the murder was preceded by an argument, the spokesman denied it. – The course of this meeting did not indicate that such events would take place – he said.
Murder during a family dinner
The crime took place on November 24 in Namysłów. The 32-year-old invited his family for dinner. At one point, he fatally shot two people and then ordered his brother's partner to tie up her children and then herself.
The woman managed to escape. She notified the police. – Units of the Independent Police Prevention Unit in Opole and Wrocław and the Central Counter-Terrorist Unit of the BOA Police appeared on site – said the press officer of the Provincial Police Headquarters in Opole, comm. Agnieszka Żyłka.
The woman managed to escape
As prosecutor Bar reported shortly after the incident, the 32-year-old first shot his father and brother. – Then the man terrorized his brother's life partner who was present at the scene, tied her up, and earlier ordered her to tie up her minor children who were in the house. The woman was imprisoned in this house for several hours and then managed to escape. She sought help from neighbors. Thanks to this, the local police obtained information about the incident, the prosecutor said.
The police tried to establish contact with the 32-year-old, but he completely ignored the negotiators. Therefore, a forced entry was ordered.
– The policemen who broke into the building found that (apart from the bodies of two men – editor's note) there were also the bodies of a woman, as it was determined, the perpetrator's mother, as well as the body of the perpetrator himself, who most likely committed suicide – said prosecutor Bar .
In an interview with tvn24.pl, the prosecutor emphasized that the hostage was present during the murder of both men. – However, we do not know when exactly the murder of the perpetrator's mother took place – noted Stanisław Bar.
The woman who called for help was trapped in the house for about five hours. She managed to free herself around 9 p.m. Her children were held captive for about nine more hours until the police stormed her at around 5 a.m. In total, they spent about 14 hours in the trap.
The children trapped by the man were freed by the police and their lives and health are not in danger. According to the spokeswoman of the Opole police, after being examined by the emergency medical team, the hostages were placed under the care of a psychologist.
The Opole police are on site. The investigation into this case is being conducted by the District Prosecutor's Office in Kluczbork.
He shot his parents and brother
Prosecutor Stanisław Bar informed that the 32-year-old shot with a legally possessed weapon. – The perpetrator obtained a permit to carry a firearm for sporting purposes. The condition for a firearms license is that you have no criminal record for an intentional crime. Such a situation occurred here – added the spokesman for the prosecutor's office. He added that investigators “did not find information that would indicate that something bad was happening in this family, and in particular that law enforcement authorities were informed about it.”
According to the findings of the Polish Press Agency, the perpetrator was neither a uniformed service officer nor a soldier.
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Main photo source: TVN24