MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Four teenagers plotted to buy guns and attack Jewish people days after a bishop was stabbed i n a Sydney church, according to police documents cited in news reports on Monday.
Five teens, aged 14 to 17, were charged in a Sydney court on Thursday last week with a range of offenses including conspiring to engage in or planning a terrorist act.
Police alleged they all “adhered to a religiously motivated, violent extremist ideology” and were part of a network that included a 16-year-old boy charged with stabbing Assyrian Orthodox Bishop Mar Mari Emmanuel on April 15 as a church service was being streamed online.
According to a police fact sheet tendered to the Sydney Children’s Court, two of the defendants charged last week discussed buying guns on April 19, the same day the bishop’s alleged attacker was charged, News Corp Australia newspapers reported.
Gun ownership is heavily restricted in Australia under tough national laws, but there is a black market for firearms in Sydney.
Four of the boys charged last week -- a 15-year-old, a 16-year-old and two 17-year-olds – allegedly used the encrypted messaging app Signal to plan their attack.
“I wanna die and I wanna kill ... I’m just excited ... Is your plan to get caught or die or escape?" a 17-year-old allegedly said on April 20 in a group chat.
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 newspapers reported.
The 15-year-old allegedly said on Signal on April 19, ”I really want to target the yahood,” meaning Jewish people.
The 16-year-old allegedly said of the church attacker, “I know the bloke who done it” and “he’s my mate.”
The New South Wales Police Force media unit told The Associated Press on Monday it could not confirm the accuracy of the reports or provide a copy of the police fact sheet.
The Sydney Children’s Court did not immediately respond to a request for the document.
Lawyer Ahmed Dib, who represents two of the boys charged last week, said he had not read the newspaper report and could not comment on its accuracy.
The boy accused of stabbing Emmanuel and a priest was charged with committing a terrorist act, a crime that carries a potential maximum penalty of life in prison.
The Rev. Isaac Royel was released from the hospital with a bandaged hand and shoulder within days of the attack.
Emmanuel on Sunday gave his first sermon since the stabbing at the Christ the Good Shepherd Church.
He wore a patch over his right eye to cover a knife wound and was applauded by his congregation.
“This 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,” the 53-year-old cleric said in comments posted on social media.
“I will always pray for you. I will always wish you nothing but the best,” Emmanuel added.
The boy's parents, in an interview with Australian Broadcasting Corp., said their son was violent and had a suspected autism spectrum disorder, but they said he was not a terrorist.
The parents were in hiding for fear of reprisals after rioting broke out around the church within hours of the stabbing.
The ABC also reported the son liked online videos of al-Qaida founder Osama bin Laden and the boy’s WhatsApp profile picture was an image of bin Laden.
FILE - Security officers stand guard outside Orthodox Assyrian church in Sydney, Australia, April 15, 2024. Four teenagers plotted to buy guns and attack Jewish people days after a bishop was stabbed in a Sydney church, according to police documents cited in news reports on Monday, April 29, 2024. (AP Photo/Mark Baker, File)
SEATTLE (AP) — Ty France homered for the second time in three games, Bryan Woo allowed one run over 5 1/3 innings for his first win and the Seattle Mariners beat the Kansas City Royals 4-2 on Wednesday.
The Mariners took two of three from the Royals and have won eight of their last nine series. Seattle will head out on a key 10-game road trip on the East Coast four games above .500 and leading the AL West.
France hit a solo shot off Kansas City starter Alec Marsh in the fourth inning to give Seattle a 2-0 lead. France also homered on Monday in the series opener.
Seattle also got an unearned run in the second inning after Adam Frazier was unable to cleanly field Luis Urías’ grounder behind third base with the bases loaded, and the Mariners added on two key runs late. Josh Rojas had a two-out RBI single in the seventh inning and Luke Raley added an RBI single in the eighth.
“The add-on runs today were huge. Guys just kept grinding through knowing that we have to have good at-bats," Seattle manager Scott Servais said. "We got some big hits.”
While Woo was terrific, Andrés Muñoz came through late, getting the final five outs for his seventh save. He also pitched around an error by Urías in the ninth. It was his second five-out save of the season.
Muñoz said his approach has changed a bit since the start of the season.
“I was a little more cautious about throw the pitch here, throw the pitch here," Muñoz said. "What I changed was just throw the ball the hardest that I can right in the middle. Obviously I don't want to hit the middle, but that is my mentality right now.”
Woo (1-0) cruised through the first five innings allowing only one hit, before running into a jam in the sixth inning. Woo had a long fifth inning in the dugout due to an umpire change between the top and bottom of the inning, as home plate umpire Jim Wolf was replaced for precautionary reasons after taking a foul ball off the facemask.
When Woo returned for the sixth, he wasn’t as sharp and immediately ran into trouble with two singles and a walk. Bobby Witt Jr. delivered a sacrifice fly to score Freddy Fermin, but reliever Gabe Speier ended the threat by getting a foul pop out from Vinny Pasquantino and struck out Salvador Perez to end the inning.
Woo struck out five and walked only one. His first start of the season last Friday had been cut short due to tightness in his right forearm following a long inning in the dugout.
“You have to learn. I think today we did a really good job adjusting from obviously the last start and came up with some good ideas of how to stay hot between innings,” Woo said.
Witt also had an RBI groundout in the eighth that scored Fermin.
“You got to try to capitalize. You know they’re going to be generally low-scoring games when you play these guys,” Royals manager Matt Quatraro said. “They have a good pitching staff and we put ourselves in a couple spots to do some good things.”
Marsh (3-1) allowed just one earned run but took his first loss of the season. He struck out seven and has allowed just two earned runs in his past four starts combined.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Mariners: 2B Jorge Polanco (hamstring) and DH Mitch Garver (back) were out of the lineup for a second straight day. Both could return Friday in Baltimore.
UP NEXT
Both teams are off on Thursday. The Royals return home to open a three-game series with Oakland on Friday, while Seattle starts a 10-game road trip in Baltimore on Friday.
AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb
Seattle Mariners' Julio Rodríguez, left, celebrates with first base coach Kristopher Negron after hitting a single against the Kansas City Royals during the fifth inning of a baseball game Wednesday, May 15, 2024, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Jason Redmond)
Kansas City Royals starting pitcher Alec Marsh (48) meets with third baseman Adam Frazier (26), pitching coach Brian Sweeney (85) and catcher Freddy Fermin during the second inning of a baseball game against the Seattle Mariners, Wednesday, May 15, 2024, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Jason Redmond)
Kansas City Royals starting pitcher Alec Marsh throws during the first inning of a baseball game against the Seattle Mariners, Wednesday, May 15, 2024, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Jason Redmond)
Seattle Mariners pitcher Bryan Woo throws during the first inning of a baseball game against the Kansas City Royals, Wednesday, May 15, 2024, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Jason Redmond)
Seattle Mariners' Luke Raley (20) beats the tag by Kansas City Royals shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. during the second inning of a baseball game, Wednesday, May 15, 2024, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Jason Redmond)
Seattle Mariners' Ty France, center, holds a trident in the dugout after his solo home run during against the Kansas City Royals during the fourth inning of a baseball game Wednesday, May 15, 2024, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Jason Redmond)
Seattle Mariners' Ty France runs the bases on a solo home run against the Kansas City Royals during the fourth inning of a baseball game Wednesday, May 15, 2024, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Jason Redmond)
