In December, the prosecutor filed an indictment with the District Court in Legnica against 36-year-old Michał W., accusing him of committing two offenses:

  • On May 23 last year in Lubin, W. attempted to take the life of Igor Ż. (Running after the injured man, W. fired at least five shots from a short-barreled firearm in Ż.’s direction; four bullets hit their target. The man was seriously injured but survived thanks to the assistance of bystanders and doctors. Moreover, one bullet pierced the rear door panel of an Opel Zafira driven by Paweł M., exposing the latter to a direct risk of loss of life or serious bodily harm)
  • possessed, without the required permit, a 9 mm firearm and ammunition consisting of at least six rounds.

The incident occurred on May 23, at approximately 3:30 p.m. in Lubin. A BMW pulled up in front of one of the funeral homes, followed by a Mercedes. Men got out of both vehicles, after which the BMW driver, Igor Ż., began fleeing on foot toward a dual carriageway, while the Mercedes driver, Michał W., began shooting at him, firing at least five shots, four of which hit the fleeing man. One bullet struck an Opel Zafira passing by the location, driven by Paweł M.

During his escape, Igor Ż. stopped a Volkswagen Transporter, whose driver took him with gunshot wounds to a hospital in Lubin, where the injured man received medical assistance. Meanwhile, Michał W. fled the scene in his Mercedes.

The determination that the shooter was the defendant, Michał W., was based on numerous pieces of evidence, including the registration number of the car driven by the defendant and numerous expert opinions.

Michał W. refused to give an explanation. He did not disclose his motives. Igor Ż. does not know them either.

The defendant had previously been convicted many times of various offenses. Until September 2014, he served an eight-year prison sentence, including for robbery with a dangerous weapon and causing bodily harm. Previously, the defendant had served a three-year prison sentence imposed in another judgment, including for illegal possession of a firearm.

W. could face life imprisonment.