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An attorney described it as “sobering and concerning” that the individual responsible likely viewed social media material depicting a stabbing incident in Australia by a young male only 40 minutes prior to carrying out his personal violent acts.

Investigation into Tragic Events

An official inquiry is now being conducted into the events leading up to the assault by the perpetrator, who was a teenager at the time, on 29 July 2024. In the attack, he murdered three young girls and tried to kill eight children and several older individuals.

During proceedings, a representative detailed the focus of the inquiry, which will explore the sequence of events and contacts Rudakubana had with various state systems, including criminal justice, schools, social care, and medical providers.

Targeted Nature of the Attack

The inquiry heard that the incident was “deeply disturbing” and specifically targeted female victims. With the exception of one man injured during the attack, every one of the remaining individuals harmed were girls or women.

The representative described Rudakubana as a “heavy consumer of online content” and noted that the teenager had deleted his online activity prior to the attack. But, data showed he had used a separate tablet to look up footage of a stabbing by a teenage boy in Australia.

Online Platforms Under Scrutiny

The inquiry has asked for details from social media firms Facebook/Instagram’s parent and formerly Twitter regarding Rudakubana’s usage on their services. It was revealed that the individual had likely viewed violent content on the platform shortly before the attack.

“It might possibly think it alarming and troubling that nearly the final action the attacker did before committing these terrible crimes was to look up and potentially view content on X in relation to a stabbing.”

Dangerous Items and Internet Orders

The inquiry will also examine how Rudakubana acquired weapons such as knives, crossbows, and machetes by pretending to be an older person and using a fake identity. In addition, he bought seeds through Amazon to make a basic form of a toxic substance”.

Authorities have requested comprehensive statements from Rudakubana’s parents to determine their awareness of his internet purchases and the items he stored in his bedroom and home.

Ongoing Inquiry

A central theme of the inquiry is to determine which organizations or entities were responsible for ownership to step in given the warning signs the individual had demonstrated before the tragedy.

The chair of the inquiry vowed to do everything “humanly possible” to address the concerns of grieving relatives and survivors. The inquiry continues in the coming days.