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Scottish Sun
19 minutes ago
- Scottish Sun
Scots teen who idolised Columbine killers & wanted to carry out ‘doomsday' mass shooting at school to be sentenced
A large-scale police probe was sparked in the summer of 2023 GUN NUT IN DOCK Scots teen who idolised Columbine killers & wanted to carry out 'doomsday' mass shooting at school to be sentenced Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) A SCOTS teenager who wanted to carry out a mass shooting at his school is to be sentenced. Felix Winter, now aged 18, "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. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 2 Winter pleaded guilty to a breach of the peace and a charge under the Terrorism Act Credit: Getty 2 At the time, Columbine was the deadliest shooting at a high school in US history Credit: Getty The Edinburgh teen repeatedly spoke about doing the same at his own secondary, describing the 'Doomsday' when he would 'clear it out'. A large-scale police probe was sparked 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. He had already been referred to a UK-wide programme designed to stop people becoming terrorists or supporting terrorism. Winter pleaded guilty to a breach of the peace and a charge under the Terrorism Act. The crimes spanned between June 2022 and July 2023. Classmates recalled how the boy "spoke excitedly and with considerable enthusiasm" when he talked about Columbine and other school shootings. He "sympathised" with the pair behind it - Dylan Klebold and Eric Harris - and would copy how they had dressed. One girl said he "idolised school shooters in America". Defence KC Shelach McCall told the court in March that a professor argued it was his condition, rather than extremism, that drove his obsession with school shootings. Ms McCall said Winter had made a 'marked improvement' since his offending. The Columbine massacre: 25 Years Later She said: 'He has expressed regret and recognises that he didn't previously appreciate how his behaviour was impacting on others. "He accepts in the context of his plea of guilty and his remarks about school shootings in 2022, him dressing in that costume and carrying that in a school would generate alarm to those who came upon it but this was not his intent." Winter will appear at the High Court in Glasgow today.
ITV News
an hour ago
- ITV News
Rise in foreign states silencing dissidents in UK going 'unchecked', MPs warn
Foreign states are becoming bolder in their attempts to silence dissidents in the UK and the government must take stronger action, parliamentarians have warned. In a report published on Wednesday, the Joint Committee on Human Rights said transnational repression had increased in recent years, with foreign states using online harassment, lawsuits and physical violence to intimidate people in the UK. MI5 investigations into threats from other states have increased 48% since 2022, the report said, while committee chairman Lord David Alton warned the rise was 'going unchecked'. He said: 'This risks undermining the UK's ability to protect the human rights of its citizens and those who have sought safety within its borders. 'We have seen prominent cases of Hong Kongers with bounties placed on their heads, Iran intimidating journalists – but evidence submitted to the inquiry suggest this may be the tip of the iceberg.' The warning comes amid rising concern about transnational repression, including reports that China has offered rewards for people turning in pro-democracy Hong Kong activists based in the UK. Last month, Parliament's Intelligence and Security Committee warned that Iran had attempted to kidnap or murder at least 15 UK-based people since 2022. Meanwhile Russia has also targeted dissidents including the attempt to kill Sergei and Yulia Skripal with Novichok in 2018. While the cross-party human rights committee said China, Russia and Iran were the 'most flagrant' perpetrators of transnational repression in the UK, it highlighted evidence suggesting a string of other countries including India, Rwanda, Pakistan, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Bahrain had sought to target people in Britain. MPs and peers said they had also received 'substantial' evidence of intimidation by the Eritrean government, including surveillance of anti-government activists and infiltration of community groups and churches in an effort to isolate opponents of the regime. The committee went on to criticise Interpol, saying the organisation had refused to acknowledge misuse of 'red notices' – international requests for an arrest – to harass dissidents or take any steps to address this. Almost half of the 6,550 public red notices currently in circulation have been issued at Russia's request. Lord Alton said: 'We want to see a two-pronged approach from the government. More needs to be done to give support and protection to the individuals and communities most at risk of transnational repression. 'We also want to see transnational repression prioritised in diplomatic relations and leadership at an international level to tackle the misuse and exploitation of systems of justice to silence and intimidate.' As well as pressing Interpol for action on abuse of red notices, the committee urged the government to provide more training on transnational repression for police officers in the UK and greater protection from vexatious lawsuits known as Slapps (strategic lawsuits against public participation). The committee also called for China to be placed in the highest tier of the foreign influence registration scheme that came into effect last month, saying its omission risked 'undermining the credibility and coherence' of the scheme given the extent of Chinese transnational repression. An Interpol spokesperson said: 'Every year, thousands of the world's most serious criminals are arrested thanks to Interpol's systems. "Children are saved from sexual exploitation and terrorists, cyber criminals and traffickers are brought to justice. 'Interpol knows red notices are powerful tools for law enforcement co-operation, which is why we have robust processes for ensuring that all Interpol notices and diffusions comply with our rules. 'Our constitution forbids Interpol from undertaking activities of a political, military, religious or racial character and all our databases and activities must also comply with the universal declaration for human rights.' A Home Office spokesperson said: 'We take the threat of transnational repression extremely seriously. "Any attempts by a foreign state to coerce, intimidate, harass, or harm individuals on UK soil are considered a threat to our national security and sovereignty, and will not be tolerated. 'The committee's review echoes many of the same findings and recommendations from the Defending Democracy Taskforce report on TNR, published in May, and we are already taking action arising from those recommendations to further strengthen our response.'
STV News
2 hours ago
- STV News
Teen who wanted to carry out 'Doomsday' mass shooting at school to be sentenced
An Edinburgh teenager who wanted to carry out a mass shooting at his own school is to be sentenced at the High Court in Glasgow. Felix Winter, now aged 18, repeatedly spoke about carrying out an attack at his secondary, referring to the day he would 'clear it out' as 'Doomsday'. Jurors previously heard the teenager '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. A major police investigation began in the summer of 2023 after a photo circulated on social media showing Winter at school in full combat gear, carrying an imitation gun, which caused panic among pupils and parents. He had already been referred to a UK-wide anti-terrorism programme aimed at preventing radicalisation. He also held racist and pro-Nazi views. Winter pleaded guilty to a breach of the peace and a charge under the Terrorism Act. His offending took place between June 2022 and July 2023. Defence KC Shelach McCall told the court in March that a professor who assessed her client found a 'serious link' between his autism and his behaviour, arguing it was his condition – rather than extremism – that drove his obsession with school shootings. Ms McCall said Winter had made a 'marked improvement' since his offending. She said: 'He has expressed regret and recognises that he didn't previously appreciate how his behaviour was impacting on others. 'He accepts in the context of his plea of guilty and his remarks about school shootings in 2022, him dressing in that costume and carrying that in a school would generate alarm to those who came upon it but this was not his intent.' Winter will appear at the High Court in Glasgow on Wednesday, July 30. Get all the latest news from around the country Follow STV News Scan the QR code on your mobile device for all the latest news from around the country
