The man who killed six people in Krakow's main square practised shooting every week at the Starachowice range of the "Swit" sports club. Police found the bodies of his parents and sister at his home.
The club's board put out a statement about the shooting. "The club does not run, and has never run, combat training, urban combat tactics or any classes that prepare people to use weapons against other people," the board wrote. It said the shooting lessons are for sport only. Club representatives said unofficially that the attacker did not learn combat shooting with them.
The club is in constant contact with police and is passing on all the information it has. It has given a full declaration of cooperation, and the process is already under way.
Most members knew the attacker and his father. The father has been a member for many years, while the son joined much more recently. One member said the father passed his passion for shooting on to his son, and that the son himself was a very polite man. A person at the range, who did not want to be named, said the attacker's movements were very smooth.
Club representative Adam Czyb, who did not know the attacker personally, said "Swit" does not issue firearms permits and does not carry out psychological tests on applicants. He said the police decide on permits, and the tests are done at an independent unit, where a psychologist examines the applicant. Czyb said the person is assessed on one particular day, and everything may look fine then. Even the best psychologist cannot predict what will happen to someone two or three months or two years later, he said.
Many people are baffled that the attacker got a gun permit at all. A person linked to the range and the club said they were surprised that there were still no police there when they arrived.
Czyb does not want to guess what drove the attacker. He said the club has no information on what could have happened. In his view, the tragedy is grave and shocking for the community and the club, and must be handled very calmly.
Club members are devastated that the name of "Swit", which has a 70-year tradition, is linked to a mass killing. They say its reputation and tradition are now in question. "It was just chance that it was us," club representatives say.