Two adolescents have been apprehended for allegedly planning to imitate the crimes of Southport murderer Axel Rudakubana. Rudakubana was sentenced to life imprisonment for the murders of three young girls – Bebe King, aged six, Elsie Stancombe, aged seven, and Alice Aguiar, aged nine, during a dance class inspired by Taylor Swift last year.
An individual aged 16 from Merseyside and another aged 17 from South Wales have been taken into custody on suspicion of devising similar assaults, according to reports. The younger suspect is accused of scheming a “copycat” attack at a Taylor Swift function, intending to wear a green hoodie resembling that of the child killer.
Allegations suggest that the teenager collected knives, journeyed to Southport for reconnaissance of local events, and downloaded the same al-Qaeda manual used by Rudakubana to create the lethal substance ricin. Additionally, the teenager contemplated targeting his former school after leaving and researched school shootings in the United States.
The younger suspect was arrested in August and charged with possession of terrorism-related documents and making threats of violence. He is scheduled to present his pleas next month.
In a separate incident, a 17-year-old from Cwmbran was detained in June after allegedly discussing mimicking Rudakubana and investigating “large knives” online. A note found on the teenager’s phone reportedly detailed “places to attack,” with directions and images of dance schools near his residence. GPS data from his phone indicated his presence near the school shortly before his arrest.
It has been claimed that the older teenager researched potential attacks on his school and indicated on social media his intention to target the Oasis concert in Cardiff on July 4. Subsequent to his arrest, he pleaded guilty to possessing a document linked to terrorism.
