Jakarta School Explosion Linked to Online Forums, Dark Web Searches
Jakarta. Authorities are widening their investigation into the Nov. 7 explosion at SMA Negeri 72 in North Jakarta, uncovering early digital evidence suggesting that the minor suspected in the blast may have accessed violent online forums and purchased explosive materials over the internet.
Jakarta Police spokesman Senior Commissioner Budi Hermanto said the suspect's laptop has been seized as key evidence.
“We are examining this information in depth,” Budi said on Friday. “The laptop is being analyzed to understand the online activities carried out before the incident.”
Preliminary findings from Indonesia’s counterterrorism unit Densus 88 indicate the minor frequented online forums containing violent material, including some on the dark web, featuring graphic depictions of war, fatal accidents, and violent crimes. Investigators also found indications that the minor followed a group known as the True Crime Community (TCC), which discusses real criminal cases in detail.
Such exposure, officials from the National Counterterrorism Agency (BNPT) said, could influence individuals still in psychological development. However, investigators have not linked the minor to any organized extremist network.
After the blast, police also recovered a replica rifle at the scene bearing the names of several convicted mass killers.
Photos obtained by Beritasatu.com show a black toy rifle resembling an AR-15 with white inscriptions, including “For Agartha,” “Brenton Tarrant. Welcome to Hell,” and the names Anton Lundin Pettersson and Alexandre Bissonnette. Police later confirmed the rifle was a toy.
Tarrant carried out the 2019 mosque shootings in Christchurch, New Zealand, killing 51 worshippers. Bissonnette was responsible for the 2017 Quebec City mosque attack that left six dead. Pettersson killed three people in a racially motivated sword attack at a school in Sweden in 2015.
Authorities stressed it is too early to determine whether the inscriptions suggest an ideological motive. Investigators are continuing to gather and verify evidence.
Police said preliminary statements from relatives suggest the minor ordered explosive materials online. When the package arrived at home, family members stored it without suspicion, believing it was for a school extracurricular activity.
“There was no indication to the family that the items were dangerous,” Budi said. He added that police have not yet confirmed how the materials were obtained, noting that the suspect remains medically unfit for questioning.
Family Questioned: Nothing Out of the Ordinary
The minor’s father and sibling have been questioned twice. Both said they noticed no significant behavioral changes in the weeks before the incident. Police have also interviewed injured students to strengthen the reconstruction of events.
The minor remains hospitalized with blast injuries and was only recently taken off a feeding tube. Doctors reported he continues to experience nausea, dizziness, and confusion, and is not yet ready for questioning.
“They said he is still disoriented and can only speak briefly,” Budi said. Formal questioning will proceed once cognitive and psychological evaluations deem it appropriate.
Authorities reiterated there is currently no indication the minor is affiliated with a terrorist organization.
“This appears to be the child’s own initiative,” Budi said. “But investigators are continuing to cross-check all digital forensic results.”
School cleanup and trauma support
North Jakarta Police and local residents have begun cleaning the affected area to reduce psychological distress for returning students and staff.
Psychological support teams from the Jakarta Police and National Police headquarters remain stationed at the school.
“Trauma recovery for victims, students, and teachers will continue until professionals declare them fully stable,” Budi said.
The explosion injured 96 people, several seriously. Investigators expect the probe to continue as digital analyses advance and the minor’s medical condition improves.
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