An attorney described it as “disturbing and alarming” that the Southport attacker probably viewed social media material depicting a knife attack in another country by a teenage boy just 40 minutes before carrying out his own crimes.
Inquiry into Deadly Events
A public investigation is currently underway into the events leading up to the attack by Axel Rudakubana, who was 17 years old at the time, on 29 July 2024. During the attack, he murdered three young girls and attempted to murder eight children and several older individuals.
During proceedings, legal counsel outlined the focus of the investigation, which will examine the timeline and contacts Rudakubana had with various public services, including law enforcement, education, social care, and medical providers.
Deliberate Character of the Attack
The inquiry heard that the incident was “extremely cowardly” and specifically targeted female victims. Apart from one male victim during the attack, all the remaining victims were female.
The representative referred to the attacker as a “prolific internet user” and noted that the young man had deleted his online activity prior to the incident. But, data indicated he had used a separate tablet to search for footage of a stabbing by a young person in another country.
Online Companies Being Questioned
Investigators has asked for details from tech companies Facebook/Instagram’s parent and X regarding Rudakubana’s activity on their platforms. Officials stated that the teenager had likely viewed graphic content on the platform shortly before the incident.
“It might perhaps consider it alarming and troubling that almost the final action AR did before carrying out these dreadful crimes was to look up and potentially view material on X in relation to a stabbing.”
Dangerous Items and Internet Purchases
Investigators will also look into how Rudakubana purchased items such as knives, crossbows, and machetes by pretending to be an adult and using a false name. In addition, he ordered seeds through an online retailer to create a “crude preparation of a toxic substance”.
Authorities have requested comprehensive statements from the attacker’s family members to determine their knowledge of his online orders and the objects he kept in his bedroom and home.
Continuing Investigation
A central theme of the inquiry is to identify which organizations or entities should have taken action to intervene given the risks the individual had demonstrated before the attack.
The head of the inquiry vowed to do everything “within their power” to address the concerns of bereaved families and survivors. Proceedings continues in the coming days.
