Edinburgh Teen Jailed Six Years for Columbine-Inspired School Shooting Plot

Felix Winter, an 18-year-old autistic and transgender teenager from Edinburgh, has been sentenced to six years in prison for plotting a mass shooting at his school inspired by the 1999 Columbine High School massacre. Winter admitted to charges including a breach of the peace and a terrorism-related offense, which involved expressing desires to carry out violent attacks using firearms, explosives, and poisons, as well as engaging with pro-Nazi extremist groups online for over 1,000 hours. He was seen wearing combat gear and carrying an imitation firearm at school, an image that circulated on social media and caused widespread fear among students and parents. Winter also kept detailed notes on manufacturing cyanide and handguns and planned to use a 3D printer to create a firearm. Despite legal arguments for alternatives to custody to ensure continued mental health support, the judge deemed Winter's conduct as escalating dangerously towards a mass shooting, warranting imprisonment. The case highlights the risks of radicalization and the role of social media and extremist online communities in influencing vulnerable individuals.