Queensland Teen Charged Over Alleged Plot to Kill or Seriously Injure Random People

A sign can be seen outside the Brisbane Watch House in Brisbane, Australia, on July 12, 2024. Patrick Hamilton/AFP via Getty Images

The Queensland Police Service (QPS) is urging people to trust their judgement and report anything unusual after a teenager was charged with planning to cause death or grievous bodily harm.

Acting on a tip-off, detectives from the Counter-Terrorism Investigation Group executed a search warrant at the boy’s house in the regional town of Maryborough, three hours’ north of Brisbane, in August.

A number of electronic devices were seized during the search and sent to Brisbane for forensic analysis.

The boy, 14, was then charged with one count of acts in preparation of causing death or grievous bodily harm under the Queensland Criminal Code, possession of a knife in public, and possession of violent extremist material under the Commonwealth Crimes Act.

The boy’s case was mentioned in Brisbane Children’s Court on Sept. 22 where police opposed bail.

“The decision to oppose bail by the investigating officers was not a decision that’s made lightly,” QPS Detective Inspector Chris Knight told media.

“That submission was decided by detectives, as it was considered to be in the best interests of public safety.”

Knight said the boy was not in communications with others in relation to the preparation and planning involved.

“We will allege that there was planning that occurred over a period of months, and there was there were identified targets, public targets, where he intended to carry out acts of violence,” he said.

Knight said there were three specified locations in the plan, with victims to be chosen at random with no particular race or religion singled out.

“In relation to the knife that’s subject of the charge, what I'll say is that that specific knife and that specific incident was captured from historical data on a mobile telephone, but it linked to other intelligence that we had,” he said.

Knight said the boy’s possession of violent extremist material was “extremely concerning” to police, and should be concerning to the public.

“I don’t want to speak to the specific files, but I'll say that there are a number of files that we all allege constitute that offence under the Commonwealth Crimes Act,” he said.

Police will not allege that the charge of planning to cause death or grievous bodily harm had a “terrorism element,” but said it remains to be seen whether that theory will be included in their summary of facts.

“It’s a new world, many parents out there haven’t grown up in this environment,” Knight said.

“But what we see is a trending behaviour whereby younger and younger people are being influenced by horribly detrimental vision that they have access to on the on the internet.

“I urge anybody who observes behaviours in the community that raises ... any concerns over public safety, or violence, or intimidation towards individuals to contact police immediately.”

Earlier this year, the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO) warned of increasing youth radicalisation online, as Australia slipped in the global terrorism rankings following the Bondi Beach terrorist attack in December 2025.