Singapore Teen Arrested ‍in Plot to Attack Mosques; Inspired by Christchurch ⁤Shooting

SINGAPORE (AP) — A 17-year-old is⁤ in custody in Singapore, accused of ⁣planning a terror attack targeting multiple mosques. Authorities say the teenager was allegedly motivated by the 2019 Christchurch, New Zealand, mosque shootings that killed 51 people.

Details of the Alleged Plot

According to The Straits Times, the teenager identified five mosques as potential targets ‌in June​ 2024. ‌These​ mosques ‌were located in Jurong West, ⁢clementi, Margaret Drive, Admiralty Road, and Beach Road.

The alleged plan involved killing at least 100 Muslims during Friday prayers ‍before committing suicide.‍ The Singaporean Department of Domestic Security (ISD) intervened,‍ issuing a ⁢detention order under the Internal Security Act (ISA) in March 2025.

other Cases of Youth Radicalization

On April 2, ‍the ISD revealed the teenager’s case was one​ of⁣ two involving youth radicalization. ‌The other case involves ‌a‍ 15-year-old girl who allegedly wanted to marry an ISIS fighter and establish a pro-ISIS family.

Authorities say⁣ the girl is the first teenage girl and second-youngest individual⁤ handled under ISA. She allegedly expressed a willingness⁤ to fight in Syria and die as a martyr.

Links to Online ⁢Extremism

The planned mosque attack came to light during the ISD’s⁢ inquiry of Nick Lee, 18, who was detained in December 2024 ​under the ISA. The‍ 17-year-old and Lee reportedly shared Islamophobic and right-wing ‍extremist material on social media.

The ISD⁣ stated the 17-year-old’s radicalization began in 2022 after encountering Islamophobic and extremist content online. This, combined with racist views against‍ Malays, fueled‌ hatred toward Islam⁣ and Muslims.

The teenager allegedly posted Islamophobic and right-wing extremist content to incite hatred⁤ and engaged in online discussions to criticize Islam.

Ideology and Influences

Like Lee, the teenager identified with “East Asia supremacy,” believing ethnic Chinese, Koreans, and Japanese are superior to Malays and indians. In November 2023, the teenager allegedly watched a video of the Christchurch shooting and admired the shooter, Brenton Tarrant.

Authorities say the⁤ teenager viewed Tarrant⁤ as a ​hero for killing Muslims. After reading⁤ Tarrant’s manifesto and works by other right-wing extremists, such as Stephan balliet ⁣and Payton Gendron, the teenager embraced the “grate replacement” theory and believed it was occurring in Singapore.

The “great replacement” is an ethno-nationalist theory popularized by French anti-immigration writer Renaud Camus, ⁢claiming that white Europeans ⁣are being replaced​ by non-Europeans through migration and⁣ demographic shifts. The teenager allegedly posted content suggesting the need for individuals like Tarrant in​ Singapore to prevent Malays and Muslims from replacing the Chinese ‍as the dominant race.

Failed Attempts to Acquire Weapons

In early ⁣2024,⁣ the teenager allegedly sought to imitate Tarrant by shooting Muslims in Singapore mosques with an AK-47 assault rifle. He was⁢ also influenced by anti-semitic content ⁤and fantasized about killing Jews, though he had ‍no concrete plan.

The teenager made several unsuccessful attempts to acquire weapons,‌ hindered by the difficulty of⁢ obtaining firearms or parts in singapore, as well as cost and technical⁤ issues.

The individual also reportedly considered buying firearms and ammunition in Malaysia or Thailand and smuggling them​ into Singapore. He allegedly⁤ watched online videos on firearm handling and planned‌ to visit a shooting range in the United States.

desire to Inspire Violence

The teenager allegedly wanted his actions to inspire other like-minded Singaporeans to commit violence and planned to livestream his attacks, ‍imitating Tarrant. He also planned​ to ‌commit suicide before police arrived.

Upon arrest, he admitted he would have carried out the attack if he had obtained a ‌firearm. While he kept his plans secret⁣ for fear of arrest, his parents were aware of⁤ his hatred ⁢toward muslims.

His father ​had shown him news reports about previous right-wing extremist cases in an attempt to change his son’s mindset. However,​ the parents did not contact authorities.

Concerns Over Youth ‌Radicalization

The‍ ISD ⁣stated that ⁣this case, along with the case of the girl⁤ wanting to marry an ISIS fighter, highlights the ongoing threat of youth radicalization in singapore.

Singapore Minister for​ Home Affairs K. Shanmugam said all residents should be concerned about such ​plots.

I think we all need to‌ worry becuase if Muslims are attacked, it is bad for⁣ the Muslim community, but it is also bad‍ for Singapore because we are one community. Moast likely, there may be something else, even when we ⁤speak. They might consume online material, they might plan, they might do something. ISD ‌is trying as well ⁢as possible to track people with this kind of thoght,
K. Shanmugam, singapore Minister for Home⁢ Affairs