A 19-year-old was arrested for breaching the grounds of Windsor Castle on Christmas Day, and his intentions were scary.
Jaswant Singh Chail from Southampton was stopped "within moments" of entering the grounds, according to the Metropolitan Police's statement to the BBC. He reportedly used a rope ladder to scale the castle's walls. Inside, Queen Elizabeth was celebrating a slimmed-down Christmas after being unable to have her usual celebrations at Sandringham.
Detectives shared that Chail was sectioned under the Mental Health Act. At the time, he was just 500 meters from the Queen's apartments.
An official statement on the situation was released by police. "Officers from Thames Valley Police and the Metropolitan Police responded to a security breach at around 8.30am on Saturday, December 25 within the grounds of Windsor Castle," the statement reads.
"A 19-year-old man from Southampton was arrested on suspicion of breach or trespass of a protected site and possession of an offensive weapon. Security processes were triggered within moments of the man entering the grounds and he did not enter any buildings. Following a search of the man, a crossbow was recovered."
"The man was taken into custody and has undergone a mental health assessment — he has since been sectioned under the Mental Health Act and remains in the care of medical professionals," the statement continues.
"Enquiries into the full circumstances of this incident are being progressed by Metropolitan Police Specialist Operations."
Royal family members who were convened within were alerted of the situation. "Police responded to this very quickly — but it is still terrifying and shocking that it happened while the Queen and senior royals were at Windsor for Christmas," a source close to the family told The Sun.
"This is worrying and a review will be carried out after this shocking incident."
Security at the castle will be reevaluated after this incident, as it was in 2003 when it was last updated. That update came after comedian Aaron Barschak broke in during Prince William’s 21st birthday party.
Investigators have reportedly discovered that Chail sent a Snapchat video to friends about 24 minutes prior to his arrest. In the snap, Chail allegedly holds the shiny black weapon and addresses the camera with a distorted voice while wearing a hoodie. His alter ego is Star Wars-inspired, and he references the film franchise’s mythology in the video.
"I'm sorry. I'm sorry for what I've done and what I will do. I will attempt to assassinate Elizabeth, Queen of the Royal Family," the figure says.
"This is revenge for those who have died in the 1919 Jallianwala Bagh massacre. It is also revenge for those who have been killed, humiliated and discriminated on because of their race."
"I'm an Indian Sikh, a Sith. My name was Jaswant Singh Chail, my name is Darth Jones," he continued. He went on to say he didn't expect to survive his attack on the Queen.
"If you have received this then my death is near. Please share this with whoever and if possible get it to the news if they’re interested."
Chail's family reportedly was unaware of his plans. Neighbors were shocked to learn he was behind the break-in.
"There was a big commotion with all the police around and it caused some concern, especially as it was Christmas Day," a neighbor told The Sun.
"The family keep themselves to themselves, like the rest of the estate, but we know there's a teenage lad who lives there with his mum and dad. The police didn't leave the estate until late at night. Everyone was wondering what was going on. We saw the Windsor story in the news but never thought our road would be at the centre of it."
