Teen’s massacre plot to become the 21st century’s ‘most famous school shooter’ disrupted
Nicholas Prosper, a 19-year-old teen from Luton, the United Kingdom (UK) has been sentenced to life imprisonment after murdering his family and planning a school massacre.
Prosper murdered his mother and two younger siblings last September using a shotgun. The struggle alerted neighbours, who called the police.
Source: Bedfordshire Police via BBC
The teen had harboured ambitions to become “the world’s most famous school shooter of the 21st century” by orchestrating a massacre at his former primary school.
Teen’s massacre planning inspired by notorious murderers
Prosper planned a massacre attack on St Joseph’s Catholic Primary School, which he had previously attended. He aimed to surpass the death tolls of the Sandy Hook and Virginia Tech shootings.
Source: Bedfordshire Police via BBC
He intended to kill 34 individuals, including young children and teachers, to exceed previous records. He bought a shotgun using a forged firearms licence and had drawn diagrams of the school’s layout with the annotation “kill all”, BBC reported.
Teen planned to carry out school massacre after killing family
After he was arrested, Prosper told the police that he planned to kill his family while they were asleep, then a class of four to five-year-old children at the primary school, two teachers, and finally himself.
On the night of the planned attack, Prosper’s mother, Juliana Falcon, woke up while he tried to kill his family members in their sleep.
In the ensuing altercation, the teen used a shotgun and a knife to kill his 48-year-old mother, his 16-year-old brother, and his 13-year-old sister. The commotion alerted neighbours, who contacted the police.
Source: Bedfordshire Police via BBC
During sentencing, the judge said Juliana was a hard-working mother who “cared for her children and tried to persuade him [you] to get help when [he was] struggling at school.”
“She was an innocent victim of an ungrateful, unfeeling son whose only wish was to be famous through destroying the lives of young children,” the judge said.
After murdering his family, Prosper left the flat with a loaded shotgun and walked towards the primary school.
He was arrested in Bramingham Road by police officers. They found the gun and more than 30 cartridges hidden in a nearby bush.
Gets life imprisonment with minimum term of 49 years
On Wednesday (19 March), Justice Bobbie Cheema-Grubb sentenced Prosper to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 49 years.
The judge highlighted Prosper’s desire for notoriety and his lack of remorse, noting he had shown typical traits of school shooters, including a fascination with previous massacres and a desire for posthumous fame.
A forensic psychiatrist who examined him said Prosper showed symptoms of mild autism spectrum disorder.
He also said that Prosper had an “extreme lack” of empathy for others and “persistent deficits” in social communication and interaction.
Source: Bedfordshire Police via BBC
“You remain highly dangerous, and it may be you will never be released,” Judge Cheema-Grubb said.
She also highlighted that Prosper, who delayed the hearing by refusing to leave his cell, had shown no remorse.
Government considers stricter gun control measures
In response to the case, Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said the government is urgently reviewing gun laws, particularly concerning private firearms sales.
She added that the influence of violent content on individuals needed to be looked into too.
“It also shows an urgent need to look at the very disturbing way some young people are becoming fixated with extreme violent material online and the real dangers to our communities as a result,” she said.
The tragic events have left the local community in shock.
Source: Facebook
Assistant Chief Constable John Murphy of Bedfordshire Police expressed deep sorrow over the “sheer horror of the incident” and Prosper’s “sickening plans”.
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Featured image adapted from Bedfordshire Police via BBC.
