Police were called to a primary school in Kraków, southern Poland, after alarmed witnesses reported what appeared to be a knife-wielding intruder attempting to enter the building. But when officers investigated, the suspected attacker turned out to be a 10-year-old boy wearing a bloodstained Halloween costume and carrying a plastic toy cleaver.
The incident occurred on Friday, 9 October, at Primary School No. 109, named after Polish children’s author Kornel Makuszyński, on Mackiewicza Street.
Witnesses became concerned after seeing the child near the school entrance carrying an object that resembled a large knife or cleaver.
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They alerted police, prompting officers to investigate a potential threat to pupils and staff.
According to Wirtualna Polska, which spoke directly to Kraków police, the situation was quickly clarified.
The apparent weapon was a plastic toy, and the boy was wearing a Halloween costume.
Bloodstained costume and a plastic cleaver
The child’s appearance had contributed to the alarm.
Reporting by Interia established that the boy had arrived wearing a bloodstained Halloween-style costume and a mask, with a plastic knife as part of the outfit.
Teachers stopped the child, while police investigated the reports.
Rafał Wawrzuta, a spokesperson for Kraków’s municipal police headquarters, confirmed that the object carried by the boy resembled a cleaver but was actually a plastic toy.
No attack took place, and police did not formally detain anyone in connection with the incident, Wawrzuta told Wirtualna Polska.
Interia subsequently reported that the matter had been referred to a family court. That referral does not establish that the child intended to threaten or injure anyone.
There was no evidence that the child had brought a genuine weapon to the school.
Why a Halloween costume caused such alarm
Under ordinary circumstances, a child wearing a Halloween costume might not attract significant attention.
But the incident came during an exceptionally tense week for schools in Poland, following two serious knife attacks in the Mazovia region.
On Wednesday, 7 October, a 19-year-old attacked people at a school in Ostrołęka, injuring nine.
The following day, a 15-year-old attacked staff at a primary school in Leszczydół-Nowiny, near Wyszków. A 37-year-old woman died and two other members of staff were injured.
The incidents prompted increased police patrols, heightened security at educational facilities and widespread concern among parents.
Rumours subsequently circulated online about further attacks allegedly planned for Friday, 9 October, as part of a supposed challenge known as ‘Bloody Friday’.
However, authorities said they had found no verified evidence of a coordinated nationwide attack campaign.
The Kraków incident unfolded against this backdrop of heightened vigilance.
For witnesses already concerned about school security, the sight of someone carrying what appeared to be a large knife was enough to trigger an emergency report.
Police urge calm amid heightened school security
Police throughout Poland have been responding to reports of suspicious behaviour, threatening online messages and potentially dangerous objects brought onto school premises.
Some incidents have resulted in detentions and further investigations, while others have turned out not to involve genuine threats.
The Małopolska regional police confirmed increased preventive patrols around primary and secondary schools, as well as kindergartens, following the recent attacks.
Officers said they were working with school administrators and responding to circumstances that could endanger children or educational staff.
Police have also appealed to the public not to spread unverified information that could unnecessarily increase fear.
The Kraków incident illustrates the difficult balance facing schools and police: responding promptly to potentially serious threats while establishing whether an actual danger exists.
In this case, the alarming-looking object was a toy, the apparent intruder was a primary-school pupil, and what initially appeared to be a serious security incident turned out to involve a Halloween costume.
