Manifesto planning ‘mass casualties’ allegedly found at home of WA man charged with preparing terror attack

A 20-year-old man in Western Australia has been charged with preparing a terrorist attack. The charges include acting in preparation for a terrorist act, possessing a prohibited weapon, firearms offenses, and using a carriage service to menace or harass. Police allegedly found a manifesto at his home outlining plans for "mass casualties." The alleged targets included mosques, Western Australian police, and parliament. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese described the allegations as "deeply shocking" and "distressing." The investigation is ongoing.

In February 2026, a 31-year-old man was charged with a terrorism offense for allegedly attempting to bomb an Indigenous rights rally in Perth, Australia on January 26. The man is accused of throwing a homemade explosive device into the crowd of thousands protesting historical dispossession of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people during an "Invasion Day" event. The device failed to detonate, resulting in no injuries. This marks the first time this specific charge has been laid in Western Australia, and the man faces a potential life sentence if convicted. Authorities have condemned the incident as an act of terror motivated by hateful, racist ideology and an attack on Australian social cohesion. The man remains in custody and is scheduled to appear in court on February 17.

A 31-year-old man has been charged with terrorism in Western Australia for allegedly attempting to bomb an Invasion Day protest in Perth on January 26th. The man allegedly threw a homemade "fragment bomb" from a shopping center balcony into a crowd of approximately 2,500 peaceful protesters at Forrest Place. While the device failed to detonate, authorities believe it was designed to explode on impact and could have caused mass casualties. The Joint Task Force alleges the attack was motivated by hateful, racist ideology. The man, who was initially arrested at the protest, was previously charged with unlawful acts with intent to harm and explosives possession.