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Scottish DJ identified as Krakow shooting victim

Max Stephens,Alexandra Snow
11/11/2026 12:30:00
James Thomas Campbell is understood to have worked as a DJ and rented out a two-bedroom holiday cottage on the Isle of Arran
James Thomas Campbell is understood to have worked as a DJ and rented out a two-bedroom holiday cottage on the Isle of Arran
James Thomas Campbell is understood to have worked as a DJ and rented out a two-bedroom holiday cottage on the Isle of Arran

The British victim of a mass shooting in Poland has been identified by The Telegraph as James Thomas Campbell, a DJ from Scotland.

Mr Campbell, who was 32 and from Prestwick in Ayrshire, was one of six people shot dead in Kraków by Michał Oksiński.

Oksiński, a 24-year-old military cadet obsessed with serial killers, killed his sister and parents at the family’s apartment in the town of Ostrowiec Świętokrzyski before travelling to Kraków.

He was “fascinated by extreme ideologies”, according to Poland’s national prosecutor’s office.

A friend of Mr Campbell’s family told The Telegraph: “We are all in shock. This is too upsetting. Do you know what we have been through? We’re broken-hearted.”

Mr Campbell is understood to have worked as a DJ and rented out a two-bedroom holiday cottage on the Isle of Arran.

A spokesman for the Foreign Office said: “We are supporting the bereaved family and the family of another victim who has been injured.”

Oksiński died in hospital from gunshot wounds sustained in a shoot-out with the police after he had killed his victims and wounded 15 others, including Harry Marchant, from North Yorkshire.

Mr Marchant’s family confirmed that the 19-year-old was in a stable condition and receiving hospital treatment.

In a statement released via North Yorkshire Police, the family said: “We would like to confirm that our son was injured during the incident in Poland over the weekend. 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.”

Harry Marchant, from North Yorkshire, is recovering from his injuries in hospital - SWNS/North Yorkshire Police
Harry Marchant, from North Yorkshire, is recovering from his injuries in hospital - SWNS/North Yorkshire Police

Searches conducted by police on Oksiński’s computer revealed that the gunman had researched the details of serial killers Anders Breivik, Charles Manson, and Ted Kaczynski, known as the Unabomber, in the weeks before the attack.

Separately, intelligence officers from Poland’s Internal Security Agency found an inscription on Oksiński’s work locker that appears to glorify Elliot Rodger, a mass murderer.

The inscription reads “Good Game Elliot Rodger”, according to sources cited by Onet, a online Polish news outlet.

In 2014, Rodger, a student at the University of California in Santa Barbara, killed six people and injured 14 others using knives, semi-automatic pistols and his car in Isla Vista. He is cited as one of the early figures of the incel movement.

The 22-year-old son of Peter Rodger, an assistant director of the Hunger Games films, died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head after a brief shoot-out with police.

Oksiński is believed to have developed a fascination with mass murderers
Oksiński is believed to have developed a fascination with mass murderers

The similarities in weapons and methods between the two attacks have aroused suspicions that Oksiński may also have been influenced by extreme incel or nihilist ideology.

Police found more than 500 rounds of ammunition and four pistols in Oksiński’s car after the shooting.

Oksiński regularly visited a local shooting range with his father, who owned 11 weapons, and had equipped himself with a professional-grade bulletproof vest with ballistic inserts for the attack.

Police found no suicide note or manifesto at his home, and the exact motivations for his actions are still to be determined.

Investigators say he may have scouted the site of the attack in Kraków’s historic Main Market Square.

A woman lights a candle to commemorate the victims of the shooting in Krakow on Sunday - AP Photo/Beata Zawrzel
A woman lights a candle to commemorate the victims of the shooting in Krakow on Sunday - AP Photo/Beata Zawrzel

Police found the bodies of the gunman’s sister Magdalena Oksińska, 21, a student at the Krakow Academy of Fine Arts, and his parents Renata Oksińska, 52, and 53-year-old Janusz Oksińska at the attacker’s home, 93 miles north-east of Krakow.

A source told Onet: “Many various items were found at his residence, at his workplace, and in the car he was driving, including badges, some of which represent specific symbolism.

“Their meaning will need to be determined and, after collecting further evidence, all of this will be forwarded to experts who will develop a psychological profile of the perpetrator.”

Poland’s National Police force announced that a specialist taskforce had been set up in Kraków to investigate the incident.

Det Ch Insp David McAlinden, senior investigating officer from Police Scotland’s counter-terrorism policing unit, said: “We are aware of the tragic death of a Scottish man in Krakow.

“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 [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.”

by The Telegraph