Real-Life Stories of Notorious Extremists and Terrorists : Nicholas Prosper
Nicholas Prosper: Failed School Shooter Plot in Luton (2024)
In the early morning hours of 13 September 2024, a quiet Luton neighbourhood became the scene of a horrific family massacre. Eighteen-year-old Nicholas Prosper shot and killed his mother Juliana (48) and two younger siblings 16-year-old Kyle and 13-year-old Giselle in their eighth-floor flat.
Prosper’s plan was even deadlier: after murdering his family, he intended to storm a nearby primary school’s morning assembly with a 12-gauge shotgun and “kill 30 children,” aiming to become “the worst mass murderer in British history”. He had illegally obtained the shotgun with a forged licence and stockpiled over 30 cartridges for the attack.
Prosper’s deadly plot was thwarted only by chance. The commotion of the struggle and gunshots in the flat alerted a neighbour, who called police, prompting Prosper to flee before he could reach the school.
After hiding the loaded shotgun in some bushes, Prosper walked to a nearby road and calmly surrendered to officers who were responding to the 999 call.
Investigators later uncovered the disturbing extent of his preparations: Prosper had researched past school shootings and wrote detailed plans even continuing to write them while in prison awaiting trial in a twisted bid for “notoriety”.
Online records showed an obsession with violent video games and gore; he idolised a character from The Walking Dead game and wrote on social media, “I am the chosen one… guided as Christians are guided by Jesus Christ,” bizarrely linking his murderous intentions to his fantasy world.
Police also found he had posted chilling messages on forums about child abuse, necrophilia, and mass murder, reflecting an “interest in the darkest sides of humanity,” as one report described.
Outcome: In February 2025, Nicholas Prosper pleaded guilty to three counts of murder and multiple weapons offenses. The judge, Mrs. Justice Cheema-Grubb, imposed a life sentence with a minimum of 49 years before parole.
She directly addressed Prosper’s warped motives, telling him: “You intended to unleash disaster on the community of Luton. Your plans were intelligent, calculating and selfish… Your ambition was notoriety. You wanted to be known posthumously as the world’s most famous school shooter of the 21st century.”
The judge noted that Prosper’s mother and siblings likely died fighting him and in doing so “saved the lives of many children” who would have been his next victims.
A senior police investigator called Prosper a “truly evil” individual and admitted he had “never encountered anyone capable of such horrific acts” in his career.
The community of Luton was left in shock at how an introverted teenager living in their midst could plot such carnage. Prosper will likely spend the rest of his life behind bars, ensuring he never has the chance to pursue the infamy he craved.
