“This includes checklists of items to obtain in order to carry out his attacks, with some of the items checked off,” Tucker said.
The court heard police first raided his family home in Melbourne’s south-east in February after being contacted by the FBI.
They allegedly uncovered several metal parts used to manufacture a gun, hundreds of ammunition rounds, a Taser, chemistry glassware, assorted chemicals, and plans for homemade guns and explosives.
Excerpt allegedly from the teenager’s diary
“Fear isn’t always a good strategy and keeping a family together. Fear uses violence and rebelling against the authorites like the Hong Kong protests in China. Using fear as a way to control children is unnecessary. It introduces violence into the children’s minds, making them assume that it’s correct, and in extreme cases, parents have been murdered. I believe that children that end up murdering their parents because of violence are not criminals, they are merely victims pushed to this point.”
Investigators also uncovered handwritten notes in which the teenager allegedly outlined his grievances against his former high school, including staff and students, Monash University, and his parents.
The notes were also said to outline plans to carry out a shooting at a bus stop using a homemade firearm, bomb a university, derail a train using chemicals to erode the tracks, poison the water supply, poison members of the public with manufactured poisons, shoot police officers, and shoot at his old school.
The teenager was arrested and had his firearm licence suspended. He provided a “no comment” interview and was released shortly after, pending an investigation into the chemicals uncovered at his home.
Police raided the teenager’s home again in April and uncovered a bayonet, flick knife, slingshot, military tactical vest with ballistic plate carriers, tactical knee pads, tactical helmet with a camera mount, GoPro-style camera, gas mask, firearm shoulder holster and shooting range targets, the court heard.
The following day, officers arrested the teenager and charged him with improperly storing ammunition, possessing housebreaking implements, and possessing explosive substances without excuse over the stash of explosive chemicals uncovered in the first raid.
The FBI alerted Australian authorities to the teen.
He was bailed subject to strict conditions including a curfew and attending mental health services.
Four months later, in August, police returned to the teenager’s home for a firearm prohibition check and uncovered handwritten notes including schematics for a possible explosive device and firearm, the court heard.
In one of the notes dated August 29, the 19-year-old allegedly stated that if he did not get into a bachelor’s course by the end of October he would have “run out of excuses for those responsible and this time I will not hold back”. Another suggested he could have built a pocket-sized firearm prototype.
“The best thing is it just doesn’t require reloading, and I’m planning to make another one more similar, with similar properties,” the note read. “Who knows? It could be months before the pigs discover anything wrong at all.”
Following the discovery of the notes, police checked the teenager’s bank account and discovered he had ordered 250 grams of potassium nitrate, a chemical that can be used to manufacture explosives, the previous month. An inspection of his eBay account also showed he had bought various chemicals, remotely operated dog shock collars, hunting knives, a slingshot, and a tactical vest, the court heard.
“Remote shock collars used with dogs can be used as a remote detonator if intended,” Tucker said.
Security and counterterrorism officers executed a fourth search warrant on the teenager’s home last month, where they found acetone, acid peroxide, and hexamine tablets, chemicals used to manufacture acetone peroxide, a powerful explosive that does not need a detonator to explode.
They also seized three plastic containers filled with a red plasticine substance and lead pencils sticking out that investigators believe could be used to combust, explode, or burn. Also allegedly at the home were electric shock collars, paper shooting range targets, walkie-talkies, tactical gear, and glass beakers. Some of it had been hidden in the garage, a fence, and vents.
History of concerning behaviour
The court heard the teenager had previously been in trouble at school for behaving aggressively towards staff and graffitiing the words “I have a gun” and “some women deserve to be raped”.
Tucker said the 19-year-old had also scribbled the words “all Jews must be gassed” in his locker and had been caught stealing a large volume of science equipment and chemicals from the school.
Tucker said the teenager left the school in year 11 after he was suspended for using a fake email address to send offensive sexual emails to a year 8 student.
The court heard the teenager appeared to have developed a grievance against Monash University after being told he wasn’t suitable to apply for a pharmacy or chemistry course, having failed to complete VCE.
The teenager allegedly plotted to derail a train. Credit: Tony Moore
In a letter to university staff in 2022, the 19-year-old described himself as “extremely knowledgeable and capable” with skills that exceeded those of a secondary school student. “I am willing to do my part for the good of society and the science world,” the message read.
In opposing his release on bail, Tucker told the court the teenager’s grievances appeared to be all-consuming and created a strong motive to undertake an act of violence.
“If released on bail, he has the capability of causing mass violence with explosives,” Tucker said.
The teenager’s father told the court the notes were an outlet for his son to express his frustration and he was not concerned about his influence on his siblings or his potential for violence at home. He said he would reduce his time at work to monitor his son and keep his son at home.
“I wasted my 19 years with him, I do not want to waste more time. I really want to do something to save him,” he said.
The hearing will resume on Monday when Magistrate Luisa Bazzani will hand down her decision on whether to grant bail.
