Transgender ‘pro-Nazi' wanted to carry out mass school shooting
A transgender teenager obsessed with murder wanted to carry out a mass shooting at their school, a court has heard.
The trans boy 'idolised' the killers behind the Columbine High School massacre in Colorado in the United States in 1999, which saw 12 students and a teacher gunned down.
The accused repeatedly spoke about doing the same at his Edinburgh secondary school describing the 'Doomsday' when he would 'clear it out'.
However, a large-scale police investigation was opened in the summer of 2023 after a social media photo of him at school in full combat gear and carrying an imitation gun caused panic among pupils and parents.
The teenager had already been referred to a UK-wide programme designed to stop people becoming terrorists or supporting terrorism. The accused also held racist and pro-Nazi views.
The now 17-year-old, who cannot be identified for legal reasons and is understood to have been born a girl, appeared in the dock at the High Court in Glasgow.
The teenager pleaded guilty to a breach of the peace and a charge under the Terrorism Act. The crimes spanned between June 2022 and July 2023. Bail was revoked by Judge Lord Arthurson pending sentencing next month.
Prosecutor Greg Farrell told how on June 20 2023, the accused had turned up at school wearing boots as well as cargo trousers and had brought a military tactical vest and helmet.
Mr Farrell: 'He was later seen at the school carrying an imitation firearm while wearing the vest and helmet. A photograph was circulated on social media. It was taken and published without his knowledge.
'The image provoked a considerable degree of fear and alarm among pupils and parents. Police were advised by a parent who saw the image.'
Officers went on to discover that the accused had a TikTok account which had footage of the teenager in black combat clothes as well as a skeleton mask.
Mr Farrell: 'One piece of commentary referenced school shootings.' The teenager was immediately suspended.
It emerged the vest and helmet were part of a costume for a short film the accused had been involved in for a drama class. The teenager had been the 'kidnapper' and had used a 'prop gun'.
Police took statements from other pupils who knew the accused. Mr Farrell: 'They provided information that the boy had exhibited a variety of alarming behaviours over a period of time.
'The greatest concern was a suggestion he had divulged to various people a desire to carry out a school shooting similar to that which had taken place in 1999 at Columbine High School in Colorado in the USA.'
Classmates recalled how the accused 'spoke excitedly and with considerable enthusiasm' when they talked about Columbine and other school shootings.
The teenager 'sympathised' with the pair behind it – Dylan Klebold and Eric Harris – and would copy how they had dressed.
One girl said the accused 'idolised school shooters in America'.
Mr Farrell said: 'In November 2022, he told her how he would go about carrying out a school attack.
'He explained that he would start on the second floor and that he would 'clear it out' using guns. He would then move downstairs continuing to shoot until police arrived, at which point he would turn the gun on himself.'
The accused described a possible mass shooting at the school as 'Doomsday' and said it would occur on April Fool's Day or the last day of their sixth year.
Mr Farrell said: 'He spoke about setting up trip wires at fire exits and of placing 'pipe bombs' at the school.'
The teenager claimed they would buy a 3D printer to help construct a firearm. The accused was said to be so 'interested' in Columbine that they said they wanted to change their name 'in an act of homage' to Klebold.
Mr Farrell said: 'One pupil told police that the boy wore the same black trousers, trench coat, cap worn backwards and circular glasses as favoured by one of the Columbine pair.'
The accused told another classmate that they would 'place a bomb in every second classroom'. They would then shoot people as they fled the building.
The accused openly chatted about the making of what were described as deadly 'pressure cooker bombs'.
The teenager was stopped by police under the Terrorism Act as they returned from holiday with their family on July 9 2023 and their electronic devices were seized.
The court heard the accused had 65 videos of Columbine and had added music which appeared to 'glamorise' the mass killing.
Police also seized a journal in which the accused had made various sinister remarks. One stated: 'I can't wait to hold my gun again in my gear. Hoping I'll get a bomb... kill this time. Will be unstoppable.'
The hearing was told the accused had previously been referred to the Prevent counter-terrorism programme due to concerns.
Shelagh McCall KC, defending, had asked the teenager to remain on bail pending sentencing. She described the accused as 'vulnerable' with ongoing issues.
However, Lord Arthurson did not continue bail. The teenager instead is expected to be sent to a secure unit for young people or what was described as a 'place of safety'. Sentencing was deferred for reports.
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And that it needs to be talked about 'not just for women's sake, but for men's, too.' According to Shamsi, 'social media has amplified women's voices – especially those of young women – who are increasingly educated, politically aware, and unafraid to own their choices. That visibility, that confidence, is unsettling for some men who have grown up believing their authority, their control, is a given.' 'It's an identity crisis,' says Shamsi. 'A subset of men is reacting with anxiety and aggression to this shift in gender dynamic as though the solution is to shrink women's spaces, rather than question why so many boys are being raised to feel threatened by equality.' The DRF's report stated that since 2017 its helpline 'has documented over 20,000 cases of technology-facilitated gender-based violence and online threats, numbers that have only grown.' Kanwal Ahmed, a Pakistani social entrepreneur and storyteller, runs Soul Sister Pakistan, a Facebook group created in 2013 with over 300,000 followers. For years, it's operated as a popular safe digital space for Pakistani women online, but Ahmed says the criticism of her page has been unrelenting. 'We have been called a man-hating, trauma-bonding club where all women do is gossip,' said Ahmed, who works with volunteers to help women in need who post on the page. Sana is not alone when it comes to unwanted online attention that's moved to real life. Ahmed recalled a case in 2019 of a young woman who had been stalked by a man after her friend leaked her number online. 'The only difference between her and Sana is that she wasn't killed, the stalker turned up at her door,' said Ahmed. 'You don't have to be an influencer to face this, it can happen to anyone.' Natalia Tariq, the resource mobilization lead at the Association for Progressive Communications (APC), a worldwide network of social activists who use the internet to make the world a better place, tells CNN that there is 'a complete culture of impunity' around online gender-based violence in Pakistan. Regulations and policies in place in the country are 'absolutely inadequate,' she said. There's a perception in Pakistan that 'violence that takes place online is not 'real' and is therefore less harmful,' Tariq said. But she added that what are sometimes seen as 'merely virtual' online threats can often turn to physical violence. Much praise has been heaped on Pakistani authorities for their sensitive and swift handling of Sana's murder, but some commentators say that's missing the point. Usama Khilji, the director of Bolo Bhi, a digital rights advocacy group Bolo Bhi, says Pakistan should be talking about educating boys about online harassment. 'Men in leadership positions need to be talking about these issues,' according to Khilji. Khilji said hate speech against women in Pakistan is still 'not a priority, and he's called on the government to 'show leadership in combatting online crimes against women.' Sana's murder comes less than two weeks after a landmark ruling by the country's Supreme Court upheld the death penalty for Zahir Jaffer, who murdered Noor Mukkadam, the daughter of a distinguished diplomat, in 2021. The brutal beheading horrified the country and renewed calls for better protection for victims of gender-based violence. Noor's father, Shaukat Mukadam, has been lauded for his relentless campaign for justice for his daughter. After the ruling, Noor's family issued a statement saying the verdict was a 'powerful reminder that women's lives matter.' Sana's father, Hassan, told CNN of his immense love for his daughter, of her plans to become a doctor, and the simple things that gave her joy, like birthday parties. 'Every moment with her was unforgettable,' he said.
