The British man who died in a shooting in Kraków has been named as 32-year-old James Campbell.
Campbell, a DJ from Prestwick, South Ayrshire, was one of six people killed in the 7 November shooting in the Polish city by a 24-year-old gunman, who is also suspected of murdering three members of his own family.
The gunman shot dead four Polish citizens and an Austrian woman, as well as injuring another British man, Harry Marchant, and 14 other people, when he drove into Kraków’s central market square and opened fire with a semi-automatic rifle.
Police Scotland said it was supporting Campbell’s family, though it added that formal identification was yet to be carried out.
Prosecutors have identified the gunman as Michał Oksiński, 24, from the south-eastern town of Ostrowiec Świętokrzyski.
He was dressed in military garb and initially believed to have been inspired by “far-right ideologies”, though prosecutors said later that his reasons for killing nine people, including his parents and a sister, who were found dead at the family home in another town, remained unclear.
Two police officers, who were seriously wounded in the chase, shot Oksiński at an intersection near the market square. He died in hospital on Monday.
Marchant, 19, from York, is still in Poland, where he is receiving treatment. North Yorkshire police say the force is assisting his family and confirmed he suffered a gunshot wound.
Marchant’s family issued a statement through North Yorkshire police, which confirmed his identity and said: “We are pleased to say he is now in a stable condition, receiving ongoing hospital treatment. We can’t express how grateful we are to the first responders, medical team and the people of Poland for their help and care for Harry. We ask for our privacy to be respected as we support Harry with his recovery.”
Prestwick’s local SNP branch paid tribute to Campbell in a Facebook post, which said: “Our heartfelt condolences to the family and friends of local Prestwick man James Thomas Campbell, only 32 years old, tragically announced by local press today as one of the victims killed in the Kraków shooting. Our thoughts are with his loved ones.”
DCI David McAlinden, from Police Scotland’s counter-terrorism unit, said: “We are aware of the tragic death of a Scottish man in Kraków. While formal identification is yet to take place, our family liaison officers are providing specialist support to his family in Scotland.
“Working in conjunction with COPFS [the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service], Police Scotland is supporting the UK Counter Terrorism Policing network and the Polish authorities.
“The immediate shared priority is to ensure that identification is properly established for the family, so that repatriation can take place as quickly as possible. The family has asked for their privacy to be respected. Our thoughts are with them and everyone impacted by this incident. We urge everyone to remain vigilant and report any concerns to the police.”
He added that people could report information online and in confidence at gov.uk/ACT, or in an emergency call to 999.
Ayr MSP Siobhian Brown paid tribute to Campbell and has offered reassurance to the Polish community in the area.
She told local newspaper Ayr Advertiser: “I am shocked and deeply saddened by the news that James Campbell from Prestwick has lost his life in the horrific attack in Kraków, Poland.
“There is a wider Polish community here in my constituency and indeed across Ayrshire, I know this news will be felt by many. At times like this, it is important we stand together, show compassion and support those affected. We must also stand firmly against hatred, extremism and violence in every form.”
Tens of thousands of people joined a silent march in Kraków on Monday evening, led by Poland’s president and prime minister, in tribute to the victims.
Donald Tusk, the Polish prime minister, called the shooting – the deadliest in the country since the fall of communism in 1989 – an act of “terrorism”.
