Valentine’s Shooting Threat Shocks London

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A teenager’s Valentine’s Day “school shooting” threat in London exposed a chilling reality: online extremism now blends ideologies that used to be sworn enemies, united by hatred and violence.

Story Snapshot

Dihan Rahman pleaded guilty at the Old Bailey to possessing terrorism-related bomb-making videos and a document, with sentencing expected in May 2026.
Police and prosecutors described a hybrid mix of incel misogyny, far-right Nazi symbolism, and violent Islamist material—linked by shared antisemitism.
Evidence presented in court included threats tied to Valentine’s Day and a school prom, plus stalking and doxing of girls and harassment of a teacher.
The case highlights how social-media ecosystems can accelerate radicalization in minors and amplify threats against women and public safety.

Guilty Plea at the Old Bailey Centers on Terror Material Possession

London prosecutors said Dihan Rahman, a former army cadet from Uxbridge in west London, pleaded guilty on February 6, 2026, to possessing two videos and one document “useful for terrorism.” Reporting indicated the material included bomb-making content and documents associated with the Manchester Arena bombing. Rahman had initially denied some counts before changing his plea during the trial. Judge Simon Mayo KC ordered a pre-sentence report and set sentencing for May 2026.

Investigators said the case first broke open after a school incident on March 15, 2024, when a teacher examined Rahman’s phone following a concern involving a photographed student. Court reporting described the device as containing violent and extremist content, including images of beheadings, dead bodies, and women being mutilated, alongside Nazi references and a post asking, “Who’s in for a valentines school shooting?” Authorities later said he continued making threats even after arrest.

Threats Targeted Classmates and a Teacher After Rejection

Prosecutors laid out a pattern of harassment beyond general extremist talk: Rahman allegedly stalked and doxed two female pupils and targeted a teacher involved in the school response. The reporting described the threats as tied to romantic rejection and framed through incel ideology—an online subculture that blames women for personal failures and has been connected to real-world violence in past cases. Police praised the victims’ resilience as the case moved through court.

Hybrid Extremism: Incel Misogyny, Neo-Nazi Symbols, and Islamist Violence

The most striking element in the court reporting was the ideological mash-up. Authorities described Rahman as administering a far-right Telegram group and sharing or consuming neo-Nazi content, including a photo of himself giving a Nazi salute captioned “Heil Hitler.” At the same time, investigators said he possessed violent Islamist material, including ISIS execution content and messages supportive of Hamas. Prosecutors characterized it as a rare “hybrid” driven by overlapping hatred—particularly antisemitism.

Online Radicalization Raises Policy Questions Without Easy Answers

Counter-terror officials warned that social platforms can pull young people toward “extremist, violent” ideologies. That matters for Americans watching similar dynamics at home: the same digital pipelines that spread propaganda also spread bomb instructions, manifestos, and grievance-based recruitment. The public record in this case underscores the need for targeted law enforcement and school-based threat reporting—without drifting into broad censorship regimes that punish lawful speech or expand government power beyond constitutional limits.

For now, the legal facts remain narrow and specific: Rahman has pleaded guilty to terrorism-material possession charges, additional counts were left on file, and the court is awaiting a pre-sentence report before issuing punishment. The broader lesson is still unsettling—teen radicalization can be fast, cross-ideological, and intensely personal, especially when grievance culture, misogyny, and antisemitism are allowed to metastasize online with real-world targets in mind.