A woman’s head was reportedly severed Wednesday when a man began attacking people with an ax on a college campus in Poland.

Polish police said a man was detained after he killed one person with an ax at Warsaw University.

Police secure the Warsaw University campus, May 7, 2025. (Reuters/Kacper Pempel)

“One individual lost their life, while another was hospitalized with severe injuries,” stated the Warsaw police. “Prosecutors and police are present at the scene. The investigation is ongoing.”

Private broadcaster Polsat News reported that a woman’s severed head and an ax had been found at the school, Reuters reported. 

According to a statement from the Rector of the University of Warsaw, an employee was “brutally murdered,” and a guard employed at the university was “seriously injured.”

“The perpetrator has been caught. We express our great sorrow and sympathy to the family and loved ones,” the school said. 

The school has declared Thursday, May 8 as a day of mourning. 

Police operate near the main access to the Warsaw University. (Reuters/Kacper Pempel)

A representative from the district prosecutor’s office informed the media that a female administrative staff member from the university was killed at the scene, and a security guard sustained injuries and was transported to the hospital in critical condition.