Teen lives were saved because people were willing to do something difficult. They spoke up.
Singapore authorities recently revealed that three male teenagers, ages 14, 15, and 19, had separately planned violent attacks inspired by extremist ideologies. Among their intended targets were LGBTQ+ students, military personnel, and individuals whose religious beliefs differed from their own.
Thankfully, none of the planned attacks were carried out.
LGBTQ+ Students Were Among the Intended Targets
The oldest of the three teens, 19-year-old Tan Jun Jie, was arrested in April after his own acquaintances alerted authorities about his increasingly radical beliefs and violent fantasies.
According to Singapore’s Internal Security Department (ISD), Tan converted to Islam in early 2022 after learning about the religion online before later becoming exposed to radical foreign preachers.
By early 2025, Tan had immersed himself in pro ISIS propaganda online and embraced increasingly violent extremist beliefs, coming to see armed attacks against those he labeled as disbelievers as religiously justified. By the end of that year, he had begun plotting attacks targeting both Singapore Armed Forces personnel and LGBTQ+ students at the tertiary institution he attended.
According to ISD, Tan considered LGBTQ+ identities incompatible with his extremist interpretation of Islam. He researched knife fighting techniques online and intended to purchase a knife from a local hardware store. Authorities said he was willing to die while carrying out the attacks if necessary.
Most disturbingly, his list of potential targets eventually extended to Muslim acquaintances who had introduced him to Islam simply because they rejected his radical views.
Those same acquaintances would later alert authorities, a decision that ultimately led to his arrest and may have saved countless lives.
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Radicalized at Just 12 Years Old
Another teenager, now 14, began becoming radicalized online at just 12-years-old.
ISD said his extremist beliefs were shaped by violent online content, including neo-Nazi propaganda, ISIS executions, mass shootings, and extremist material encountered through social media and online gaming platforms. He became fascinated by several real world mass murderers and developed plans to attack classmates during a school holiday break last June using knives. Authorities said he intended to livestream the attack before taking his own life.
In the weeks leading up to his planned assault, classmates and teachers noticed troubling changes in his behavior and immediately alerted authorities. He was arrested in May.
A third teenager, aged 15, was arrested in March after pledging allegiance to ISIS online and planning an attack in Singapore modeled after the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing.
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Why Speaking Up Matters
Stories like these are frightening, but they are also reminders that intervention works.
Friends paid attention. Teachers noticed warning signs. Acquaintances made difficult decisions. Lives were saved because people chose to speak up.
For LGBTQ+ teens especially, this story serves as an important reminder that hateful rhetoric and online radicalization can have devastating real world consequences.
Sometimes, being a “snitch” isn’t betrayal. It’s courage. And in this case, it may have prevented unimaginable tragedy.