Four teens allegedly planned to buy guns and attack Jewish people after a bishop was stabbed in a church in Sydney, Australia, according to a police investigation reportedly included in court documents.
The teens were charged in Sydney Children's Court court last week with a range of offenses, including conspiring to engage in or planning a terrorist act.
The 16-year-old suspect in the bishop's stabbing has been charged with committing a terrorist act, which carries a potential sentence of up to life in prison.
Police allege that all of the teenagers — including the suspect — "adhered to a religiously motivated, violent extremist ideology," according to Sky News and News Corp's Asutralian newspapers.
The boys, ages 15, 16 and two 17, reportedly used the Signal encrypted messaging app to discuss their alleged plots just days after the stabbing that also left a priest injured.
"I wanna die and I wanna kill ... I'm just excited ... Is your plan to get caught or die or escape?" one of the 17-year-old boys allegedly said in a group chat, Sky News reported.
The 16-year-old allegedly responded: "We're gonna be planning for a while ... we prefer to escape, but whatever happens, it's the qadr [predetermination] of Allah."
The 15-year-old allegedly said: "I really want to target the yahood (Jewish people)."
Neither the New South Wales police department nor the attorney for two of the boys would confirm the information.
The attack on the bishop occurred at the Christ The Good Shepherd Church on April 15.
The service was being live streamed, and footage showed the attacker walking up to the altar and stabbing the bishop with a knife.
Other people jumped to his aid and were also injured before the supect was restrained.
Bishop Emmanuel had led a service Sunday for the first time since the attack. He wore an eyepatch and said he had lost his eye in the stabbing.
He forgave his attacker from the altar,
"To the young man who did this act almost two weeks ago, I say to you, my dear, you are my son and you will always be my son," Bishop Emmanuel said, according to Sky News.
