Teenager jailed for school shooting fantasy inspired by Columbine massacre
Felix Winter, 18, admitted two charges – a breach of the peace and a charge under the Terrorism Act – at the High Court in Glasgow in February.
The offences occurred between June 1, 2022 and July 31, 2023 at an Edinburgh high school and elsewhere.
The court previously heard the 1999 Colorado massacre had been on the S3 curriculum for modern studies.
The teenager, who the court was earlier told is transgender, dressed up in a drama class with an imitation firearm for a film project.
He accepted it would 'cause alarm' when posted on social media, due to the comments he made.
At the same court on Wednesday, Judge Lord Arthurson jailed Winter for what he branded a 'prolonged, deeply disturbing and escalating course of criminal conduct'.
The court heard Winter kept notes about the manufacture of cyanide and handguns, and 'relayed a desire to perpetrate a school shooting similar to Columbine, discussed placing bombs in a cafeteria and shooting people as they ran out of school', and engaged daily with pro-Nazi Discord groups online for more than 1,000 hours.
Winter admitted 'uttering remarks' about the Columbine massacre, making comments about 'desire and plans to carry out acts of violence involving firearms, explosive devices and poisons against pupils and teachers', showing images of mass shootings to pupils, as well as making racist and homophobic comments.
He also admitted making comments about 'planning to acquire a 3D printer for the purpose of manufacturing a firearm', and posting on TikTok showing him 'dressed in a manner resembling those responsible for the mass shooting at Columbine High School alongside audio referencing school shootings'.
Winter pleaded guilty to a second charge of, between December 2, 2022 and July 9, 2023, possessing documents or records 'containing information likely to be useful to someone committing or preparing an act of terrorism'.
Defending, Shelagh McCall KC said the motive was 'revenge for bullying' but she added Winter had 'experienced positive changes' since his arrest in July 2023.
She said Winter 'was groomed by an online community into believing his violent fantasy was morally justified' following the 'loss of a friendship'.
Ms McCall added: 'The risk assessor report finds that he felt harm was morally justified to those who harmed him, bullies at school and those who failed to protect him. The risk assessor found he started to express racist views in tandem with the rhetoric of an online community.'
Lord Arthurson said Winter was 'immersed' in a pro-Nazi Discord group and was referred to the Prevent counter-terror programme in 2022, 2023, 2024 and 2025.
The judge said Winter 'increasingly saw yourself as a warrior', and had created 'visceral and graphic plans selecting which pupils and teachers you would kill and spare'.
The court heard the teenager wrote 'the school is a virus on the earth and everyone should be looking at me as a god', and kept a journal about shooting people.
In one video, Winter 'dressed in a tactical vest and helmet and imitation firearm' sought to 'glamourise' the Columbine massacre, while he also posted a video showing him walking along the school corridor, and watched 'gore' videos showing executions and dead bodies, the court heard.
The judge said Winter was a 'vulnerable young person', and added: 'It is at least arguable you were progressing towards the brink of committing a mass school shooting and becoming radicalised, the statement of intent could not have been clearer.
'Your ideation grew in intensity; you took steps to obtain information likely to be of use to committing an act of terrorism.
'Your plans had become a degree more operationalised; you asked a witness to retain a journal and said you lied to police.
'In February you expressed annoyance you had been caught.'
He said only a 'substantial' custodial sentence was appropriate.
Police Scotland Assistant Chief Constable Stuart Houston said: 'This was an extremely complex and fast-moving investigation, and I want to take this opportunity to pay tribute to the diligence and hard work of the officers who worked tirelessly to gather the evidence and bring the perpetrator to justice.
'The inquiry also underlines the advantages of working closely in partnership as part of the Prevent programme, which promotes early intervention through tailored, diversionary support to individuals who may be susceptible to supporting or committing terrorism to help keep our communities safe.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Emma Raducanu: Questions about me and dating just ‘terrible'
Emma Raducanu has revealed she gave up therapy after two sessions, hit back at criticism over her revolving door of coaches and voiced her frustration at the level of interest in her personal life. Raducanu has endured a tumultuous career following her shock US Open triumph in 2021, including three surgeries, dealing with stalkers and questions over her relationship status. The British No 1 is gearing up for another crack at glory at Flushing Meadows and has scored a coaching coup by making an agreement with Francis Roig, a former top-60 player who was part of Rafael Nadal's coaching team for 17 years. The full roll-call of coaches from her professional career now features at least eight names, and includes Nigel Sears, Andrew Richardson, Torben Beltz, Dmitry Tursunov and Sebastian Sachs. There was also a brief interlude in Indian Wells this year where Vladimir Platenik sat in her player box while she lost a first-round match against Japan's Moyuka Uchijima. 'People love to say I've had so many different coaches but if I went into the details of a lot of them, people would not be saying the same thing,' Raducanu told The Guardian. 'When you see things like, 'Oh, Emma on her ninth coach', I'm like, 'Guys, come on'. Certain ones don't count. If you've had a trial, you don't have to carry on after the trial. A few have been trials, a few have been other situations. I just try and take the high road – and try to do what the royal family would do.' Raducanu was stalked across four countries for at least three weeks in a 'calculating' and 'terrifying' campaign of harassment, one of her former coaches claimed earlier this year. A man arrested in Dubai had followed her to every tournament since the Australian Open, according to Roman Kelecic, who is based in the city. Raducanu said she had 'tried' therapy after being recommended to do it, but she gave up after two sessions and stopped after claiming the people helping could not relate to her. The 22-year-old and Carlos Alcaraz are among the wildcard entries for the mixed doubles championship at the US Open which will take place before the main tournament on Aug 19 and 20, with $1m (£750,000) in prize money at stake for the winners. She said questions over her dating status were 'terrible' at Wimbledon, when a reporter asked whether she was with Cam Norrie. 'I think they're more curious about this news than any tennis results and tennis news,' she added. 'But I just keep to myself, my private life to one side.' Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Steer clear of dolphin ‘targeting women in wetsuits', swimmers warned
A dolphin that appears to be 'targeting women in wetsuits' could be dangerous to humans, experts have warned. The animal, which has been named Reggie, was first spotted joining swimmers in Lyme Bay, Dorset, for an early morning dip on Aug 3 and its presence has attracted crowds of people to the area. But experts say that Reggie, which appears to be living on its own, could snap and turn aggressive amid all the attention, which could also be a danger to its own safety. It has already been photographed with gashes that were seemingly caused by a boat's propeller. Kayaker Rhys Paterson, 32, said he was forced to intervene after the dolphin began jumping on a woman, pushing her head repeatedly under the water. Footage showed the swimmer saying: 'It scared me to death – oh my goodness!' before being pushed under the waves on Aug 14. Mr Paterson, a development director from Lyme Regis, said the filmed incident was not the only confrontation, and the dolphin appeared to be 'targeting women in wetsuits'. 'We saved two swimmers who were fairly deep, where the dolphin kept jumping on them,' he added. 'The dolphin was basically drowning this woman – it kind of jumped on her back four times. 'We had been following the dolphin for a little bit, because obviously it's quite a local legend at the minute. 'But when we realised it wasn't playing, it was quite a big shock. People need to understand that it's not an amusement arcade. It's a wild animal. It can snap all of a sudden.' 'Multiple potential offences' observed The Marine Management Organisation, a government quango, said: 'We're increasingly concerned about a lone dolphin spotted in Lyme Bay following multiple potential marine wildlife disturbance offences observed online and shared on social media. 'Please remember – never swim with, touch, feed, or approach dolphins. If a dolphin approaches you, calmly leave the area. 'Human interaction can cause dolphins to lose their natural wariness, leading to injury or even death. Disturbed dolphins are also known to become aggressive toward people.' However, some holidaymakers are ignoring the warnings, and videos posted online show paddle-boarders floating close to the dolphin. 'Leave the poor thing alone' One social media user commented: 'We went down last night and watched from the shore. We were shocked to see so many paddle-boarders out there (around 20) and they were all following the dolphin and not leaving him alone. 'Yes it's magical for everyone to be up close but seriously have a word with yourselves. Leave the poor thing alone.' Lucy Babey, the director of programmes at Orca, a marine conservation charity, told The Telegraph: 'This is a wild animal and a large, robust animal. Interacting with the dolphin could result in serious injuries to both people and the dolphin.' Bottlenose dolphins are native to British shores, can reach up to 13ft in length and typically weigh around 500kg. It is illegal to intentionally or recklessly kill, injure or disturb dolphins, whales and porpoises under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981. Approaching or recklessly disturbing a dolphin can result in a prison sentence of up to six months and an unlimited fine. Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Yahoo
Edinburgh gang war boss shared business with drug-dealing bodybuilder
Edinburgh gang war boss Ross McGill was in business with a drug-dealing Mr Scotland before the pair were exposed in a cracked Encrochat bust. McGill co-owned EKLean dry cleaning business in East Kilbride with professional bodybuilder John Barry McDuff until 2021 - a year before he fled to the United Arab Emirates amidst fears he would be arrested after French cops broke into the encrypted criminal phone network. McDuff, 41, was later sentenced to seven years at the High Court in Glasgow in 2024, for his role in a lucrative Class A drug trafficking operation, reports our sister title the Daily Record. READ MORE: Dublin Street Edinburgh: Road closed off as 'man falls from scaffolding' READ MORE: Police lockdown Edinburgh city centre street as 'forensic tent' erected on site Underworld sources claim the pair operated as partners in the racket. McGill and McDuff were both registered directors for EKLean on the Companies House website in February 2021. Images from the firm's social media pages show the clothes cleaners promoting garment care for expensive designer brands such as Moncler, Louis Vuitton and Prada. Speaking to the Record, the source said: "McGill and McDuff were business partners for a number of years and built up a substantial drug dealing network throughout Scotland. "Both used the Encrochat network and after it was busted people started to get the jail and McGill moved fast before the authorities caught up with him. "McGill moved to Spain and eventually Dubai, but McDuff wasn't as smart and the police were soon knocking on his door." When McGill fled the country, he left McDuff as the sole owner of the firm with the business still registered under the gym bunny's name. Since moving to Dubai, McGill has rubbed shoulders with international cartel bosses and moved his criminal operation on to another level. While McDuff, crowned Mr Scotland in 2012 after winning the 90kg category at the National Amateur Bodybuilding Championships, was caged after the High Court in Glasgow heard he used handles such as ""BIggie-Gla" on Encrochat for his involvement in the supply of cannabis, cocaine and heroin. The source added: "McDuff is stuck in jail while his old partner has gone on to mix with some of the biggest criminals in the world. "McGill was running a lot of businesses as well as the dry cleaners, but he shut them all down in 2022 and took his money out. "He knew he had been discussing some very incriminating stuff on Encrochat and when it was cracked he left without any intention of ever returning to Scotland." McGill lived quietly in Dubai, orchestrating huge drug deals before he launched a gang war on the streets of Scotland earlier this year. Members of caged Edinburgh kingpin Mark Richardson's crew were accused of ripping him off to buy £500,000 worth of cocaine with fake bank notes. McGill soon announced that everyone linked to Richardson was a target. Properties and businesses throughout Edinburgh were set on fire throughout March, before the war spread to Glasgow in April, targeting the notorious Daniel clan for their association with Richardson. Police Scotland's investigation to the feud, Operation Portaledge, has lead to 55 people being arrested for a variety of offences. Join Edinburgh Live's Whatsapp Community here and get the latest news sent straight to your messages.
