'This Place' Turned Indonesian Teen into Bomber Who Injured 96

Evidence Shows He Learned Bomb-Making Techniques from YouTube
Diary Reveals Detailed Crime Plans, Including Bomb Placement Locations

A recent investigation has revealed that a teenage boy who detonated an improvised explosive device at a high school in Indonesia, injuring 96 people, adopted extremist ideologies such as white supremacy through the Telegram messenger and learned how to make bombs via YouTube. Additionally, an organization linked to the Islamic State (IS), an Islamic extremist militant group, was caught attempting to indoctrinate more than 100 minors through online games, social media, and Telegram. This has highlighted the seriousness of the spread of extremism targeting children and adolescents in online spaces.

Police searching the home of a teenage boy who detonated an improvised explosive device at a high school in Indonesia, injuring 96 people. Photo by AP Yonhap News

On November 20, Yonhap News, citing AP and other foreign media outlets, reported that local police investigating last month's explosion at a high school mosque in Jakarta discovered that the 17-year-old suspect had joined extremist Telegram channels that glorify white supremacist mass shootings. The boy is accused of detonating several improvised explosive devices at the mosque of SMA 72 High School in North Jakarta on October 7, injuring 96 people, including students.

According to police, the Telegram channels the boy joined discuss and share violent materials related to incidents such as the 2019 Christchurch mass shooting in New Zealand and the 2015 Charleston mass shooting in the United States. The Christchurch attack was carried out by white supremacist terrorist Brenton Tarrant, who opened fire at two mosques, killing 51 people. The Charleston incident involved Dylan Roof, also a white supremacist, who attacked a Black church with a firearm, killing nine people.

Explosion Suspect Left Submachine Gun with White Supremacist Phrases at Scene

The suspect in the Jakarta high school explosion left a toy submachine gun at the scene inscribed with phrases such as "Brenton Tarrant: Welcome to Hell," "Dylan Roof," "KKK" (Ku Klux Klan, a white supremacist group), and the "14 words," which symbolize white supremacy. Local police stated that these markings indicate he was drawn into violent ideologies encountered on Telegram, idolized the perpetrators of these mass shootings, and attempted to emulate their crimes.

The suspect in the Jakarta high school explosion left a toy submachine gun at the scene inscribed with phrases such as "Brenton Tarrant: Welcome to Hell," "Dylan Roof," "KKK" (Ku Klux Klan, a white supremacist group), and the "14 words," which symbolize white supremacy. Photo by Reuters Yonhap News.

The boy also learned how to make explosives by watching YouTube videos and made seven small explosive devices at home by himself. Of these, four detonated during the incident, while three failed to explode. It was found that the suspect procured bomb-making materials such as potassium chloride and nails, as well as toy guns, from online marketplaces, deceiving his father-who lived with him-by claiming these items were for cosplay.

The police plan to thoroughly investigate the loophole that allowed the boy to obtain explosive materials online without any regulation. The police also found a 42-page diary at the suspect's house in Jakarta, which contained detailed crime plans, including sketches of the school and mosque layouts, bomb placement locations, and dates. The diary also revealed his feelings of isolation, past trauma, and a desire to end his life by harming others.

The police found detailed crime plans in a 42-page diary secured from the suspect's house in Jakarta, including sketches of the school and mosque layouts, bomb installation locations, and dates. Reuters Yonhap News

The boy, who came from a low-income family, became more withdrawn after his parents divorced, spending most of his time in his room and only coming out for meals, according to his relatives. A police official told Reuters, "He had no one to express himself or his feelings to, whether family or friends." The suspect was injured by the explosion after his suicide device failed to function properly and is currently receiving hospital treatment.

Meanwhile, in connection with this incident, Indonesian authorities sparked controversy by considering regulations on computer games similar to those in Korea. According to Bloomberg and other outlets in October, Prasetyo Hadi, Indonesia’s Minister of State Secretariat, stated that President Prabowo Subianto, after receiving a police report on the high school bombing investigation, instructed the cabinet to review regulations related to computer games. Russian state-run TASS News Agency reported that President Prabowo suggested this incident may be linked to the influence of violent computer games on youth.