Two teenagers have been apprehended for allegedly planning to imitate the actions of convicted Southport murderer Axel Rudakubana. Rudakubana is serving a life sentence for the killings of three young girls – Bebe King, Elsie Stancombe, and Alice Aguiar – during a dance class inspired by Taylor Swift last year.
A 16-year-old from Merseyside and a 17-year-old from South Wales have been arrested under suspicion of conspiring to carry out similar assaults. The younger individual is accused of devising a “copycat” scheme targeting a Taylor Swift event, intending to wear a green hoodie resembling that of the aforementioned child killer.
According to reports, the teenager obtained knives, conducted research on local events in Southport, and allegedly downloaded the same al-Qaeda manual used by Rudakubana to create the lethal poison ricin.
Furthermore, the teen contemplated attacking his former school after leaving and researched incidents of high school shootings in the United States. The younger suspect was detained in August and faces charges of possessing terrorism-related documents and making threats to kill, with his plea hearing scheduled for next month.
In a separate incident, a 17-year-old from Cwmbran was taken into custody in June after discussions about emulating Rudakubana and researching “large knives” online. A note titled “places to attack” was reportedly found on the teenager’s phone, listing dance schools near his residence. GPS data from his mobile device indicated his proximity to the school shortly before his arrest.
Allegations suggest that the older teenager explored potential attacks on his school and announced intentions on social media to target the Oasis concert in Cardiff. Following his arrest, he admitted guilt to possessing a document linked to terrorism.