Teenager accused of several terrorist-style plots allegedly had ISIS propaganda and Christchurch shooting video on laptop
A teenager accused of planning several lethal attacks on a high school and university allegedly had video footage of the Christchurch mosque attack and ISIS propaganda on his laptop.
South East
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A teenager accused of plotting several lethal attacks including a shooting spree at his former high school and a university bombing has previously been suspended for violent misogynistic and anti-Semitic graffiti.
The 19-year-old, whose identity was suppressed in court for his own safety, fronted the Moorabbin Magistrates’ Court on November 11 from the docks, facing charges including four counts of possessing explosives, one count of failing to store long arm ammunition correctly and two counts of possession of explosive substances.
The court heard police found he had allegedly outlined plans to carry out violent public attacks, including a shooting spree at his former high school, a university bombing, train derailment, police shootings and planned on poisoning public water supplies.
On Monday, the court heard the teen had allegedly been physically aggressive towards teachers in relation to a technology addiction, before being suspended for writing “all Jews should be gassed” and “some women deserve to be raped” on the school lockers when he was in Year 9.
He later allegedly made a fake email address to send “sexual emails” to a younger student.
The court heard the teen had acquired a firearms licence shortly before Victoria Police were alerted to his online activity, which later revealed he had allegedly stored video footage of the Christchurch mosque shooting – which killed 51 people and injured 89 others, graphic videos of school shootings, ISIS propaganda as well as a video montage “idolising” the Buffalo and Columbine school shooting perpetrators.
The man came to the attention of Police in February after a tip off from the FBI about an alleged plot to manufacture a firearm for a high school shooting.
Detective Senior Constable Andrew Tucker from the counter-terrorism unit said handwritten notes allegedly outlining the teen’s grievances with fellow students, teachers and his family had been “happened upon by chance” in a September raid on the accused man’s home.
The court heard many of the notes had been written in code, with some reading “they are all going to die for bullying and ignoring me” and “this time I will not hold back”.
Sen Constable Tuckker said police feared the accused would carry out a similar style attack in Melbourne, after a Go-Pro and helmet harness for a camera were seized in the raid.
The notes and an online Reddit account with similar comments were still being decoded by a police expert, the court was told.
Australian Border Force officers intercepted a package addressed to the accused, containing remote shock collars — commonly used for dogs — that Sen Constable Tucker said could be used as “remote detonators”.
Sen Constable Tucker said further analysis of tech items found at the accused’s house was ongoing and that further charges could be laid.
Magistrate Luisa Bazzani outlined her plan to have the matter lifted to the County Court.
“These are extremely serious offences and almost unique in my experience of the court,” she said.
“I’m not satisfied there are available sentencing options for the entirety of the charges (in the Magistrates’ Court).”
She adjourned the matter to November 18 at the Melbourne Magistrates’ Court.
The teen will remain on remand until then.
