Two teenagers have been apprehended for allegedly planning to imitate the atrocities committed by Southport perpetrator Axel Rudakubana. Rudakubana, who was sentenced to life imprisonment for the murder of three young girls at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class last year, including Bebe King, Elsie Stancombe, and Alice Aguiar.
A 16-year-old from Merseyside and a 17-year-old from South Wales have been arrested under suspicion of devising similar attacks. The younger teenager is accused of scheming a “copycat” assault at a Taylor Swift function, intending to wear a green hoodie reminiscent of the child killer.
Allegations suggest that he collected knives, traveled to Southport for reconnaissance, and downloaded the same al-Qaeda manual employed by Rudakubana to create the lethal toxin ricin. Additionally, the teenager contemplated targeting his former school post-dropout and conducted research on high school shootings in the U.S.
The younger suspect was detained in August and charged with possession of terrorism-related documents and making threats to kill. He is set to enter his pleas next month.
In a separate incident, a 17-year-old from Cwmbran was arrested in June after discussions related to mimicking Rudakubana’s actions and online searches for “large knives.” A note titled “places to attack,” containing directions and images of nearby dance schools, was reportedly found on the boy’s phone. GPS data from his device indicated his proximity to the school shortly before his arrest.
The older teenager allegedly explored potential attacks on his school and declared his intention to target the Oasis concert in Cardiff on July 4 via social media. Following his arrest, he pleaded guilty to possessing a document linked to terrorism.