Police Reveal MAN 3 Padang Student Learned to Assemble Bomb Autodidactically Over Four Months

A student identified as R (17) brought a homemade bomb that was detonated at Madrasah Aliyah Negeri (MAN) 3 Padang, West Sumatra. R learned to assemble the bomb autodidactically over four months to retaliate for bullying he had experienced. “Based on his admission, he learned independently or autodidactically from YouTube, Instagram, and the internet. He studied independently and that has been conveyed by him,” said West Sumatra Police Head of Public Relations, Senior Commissioner Susmelawati Rosya, when contacted by journalists on Thursday (16/7/2026). Susmelawati stated there was no information yet regarding any party teaching the perpetrator to assemble the bomb. However, R claimed he learned autodidactically. “To date, there is no information regarding any other party guiding him. From the examination of the perpetrator, he indeed admitted to learning autodidactically on his own,” she revealed. She said R began learning to assemble the bomb approximately four months ago. He had frequently been a victim of bullying since entering his second year. “He started learning from the month of Ramadan, meaning from April, until now. Because the child has been bullied since he was in his second year. Now he is in his third year. Since he first entered his second year, he has been bullied by his classmates,” she stated. “So, this action is likely an accumulation of deep psychological pressure, which led him to start learning autodidactically from Ramadan, then looking at the internet and Instagram, which he admitted to doing,” she added. Police stated that R is not affiliated with any terrorist network. “The update indicates that this incident has no connection to terrorist networks as we might imagine,” she said. She said R is currently undergoing psychological rehabilitation. The police are coordinating with local government organisations for R’s recovery. “We also need to rehabilitate him psychologically so that he is not further exposed. Currently, the police chief has coordinated and collaborated with local government organisations for the recovery and rehabilitation of the perpetrator. This is the main priority at the moment,” she explained. Susmelawati explained that the examination of R is still ongoing, but the police are currently focusing on his recovery. “At present, the examination is proceeding. There has been no determination of status or anything like that yet, because the current focus is on the recovery of the perpetrator. Psychological recovery and assistance for the perpetrator is the top priority,” she said. “Secondly, there is also recovery for the schoolchildren. So yesterday, the sector police chief conducted trauma healing at the school. As conveyed by the leadership yesterday, this child is still young, 17 years old, and he has been exposed,” she added. The homemade bomb explosion occurred on Tuesday (14/7) at MAN 3, Balai Gadang Village, Koto Tengah District, Padang City. The spokesperson for the police’s Densus 88 counter-terrorism unit, Senior Commissioner Mayndra Eka, explained that the object suspected to be a homemade bomb was found by school security officers. There were no fatalities in the incident. Police stated that R had frequently been a victim of bullying by his peers. “Yes, it is true he was a victim of bullying. Due to psychological pressure from frequently being the target of ridicule by his friends, he did this,” said West Sumatra Police Head of Public Relations, Senior Commissioner Susmelawati Rosya, when contacted by journalists.