17-Year-Old Aspired to Kill 100 Worshippers Before Taking His Own Life

A 17-year-old Singaporean has been detained under the Internal Security Act (ISA) for planning mass shootings at five mosques across the country. Inspired by the 2019 Christchurch attacks in New Zealand, he aimed to kill at least 100 Muslims as they left Friday prayers before ending his own life.

The Internal Security Department (ISD) revealed on 2 April that the teen was among two self-radicalised youths under investigation. A 15-year-old girl was also issued a restriction order in February after expressing a desire to marry an ISIS fighter and raise a pro-ISIS family.

Online Radicalisation and Extremist Ideologies
Authorities traced the teen’s radicalisation to 2022 when he began consuming Islamophobic and far-right extremist content online. He regularly shared hate speech and engaged in debates to criticise Islam. Viewing himself as an “East Asian supremacist,” he believed in the superiority of Han Chinese, Koreans, and Japanese over Malays and Indians.

His obsession escalated in November 2023 when he watched the Christchurch shooting video and researched its perpetrator, Brenton Tarrant. Finding satisfaction in the footage, he came to idolise Tarrant and sought to replicate his actions in Singapore.

By early 2024, he had set his sights on mosques in Jurong West, Clementi, Margaret Drive, Admiralty Road, and Beach Road, with Masjid Maarof being his primary target due to its location. He intended to live-stream the attack to inspire others.

Failed Attempts to Obtain Firearms
Between February and April 2024, the teen made multiple unsuccessful attempts to acquire firearms. He reached out to a U.S.-based arms dealer, explored 3D-printing gun parts, and tried to smuggle a pistol into Singapore. His plans ultimately fell through due to financial and logistical constraints.

When arrested, he admitted he would have carried out the attack had he secured a weapon. His parents were aware of his hostility toward Muslims and his excessive online activity but did not report him to authorities.

Growing Concern Over Youth Radicalisation
ISD has dealt with 17 radicalised youths under the ISA since 2015, with cases involving younger individuals becoming more frequent. The 17-year-old is the fourth person in recent years to have been influenced by far-right extremism, particularly by Tarrant’s manifesto.

Home Affairs Minister K. Shanmugam, speaking at Masjid Maarof, stressed that such threats concern all of Singapore. He urged the public to remain vigilant, stating, “We have to stop every attack. They only need to succeed once.”

Singaporeans are encouraged to report suspected radicalisation to the ISD hotline at 1800-2626-473.