Winnipeg police warn of violent extremist groups targeting youth online
Posted June 13, 2026 2:37 pm.
Winnipeg police are warning parents, educators and healthcare professionals about the growing threat of violent extremist groups targeting children and youth through online platforms.
The Winnipeg Police Service recently issued a public safety advisory to raise awareness about what it describes as an escalating threat from nihilistic extremist networks that prey on vulnerable young people online.
“Their stated objective is not ideological change, but the destruction of society,” said Const. Claude Chancy of the Winnipeg Police Service.
Police say perpetrators often seek out youth who show signs of vulnerability through online posts about loneliness, bullying or social isolation.
“Perpetrators exploit these voluntary online disclosures by fabricating shared experiences to build forced trust then systematically introduce victims to increasingly violent and abusive materials,” said Chancy.
According to police, nihilistic extremist networks include groups such as 764, MKY and Order of Nine Angles, among others. Some of these organizations have been added to Canada’s Criminal Code list of terrorist entities.
Police declined to provide details about specific investigations, citing ongoing cases.
“We are seeing acts of violence that are happening in real life that are originating in online spaces sometimes involving people locally,” said Const. Andrea Lefort, an expert in the field of violent extremism with the Winnipeg Police Service.
Police are encouraging parents to watch for warning signs, including unexplained injuries, self-harm, sudden withdrawal from family and friends, secretive behaviour and increased time spent online.
“This is the conversation I think parents need to have with their kids. It’s a conversation not outright panic like starting throwing devices out of the windows and freaking out,” said Lefort.
Police say perpetrators can operate on virtually any online platform, but commonly use social media applications such as Discord and Snapchat, as well as gaming platforms including Roblox and Minecraft.
Nationally, police say the youngest known victim was eight years old.
Victims are often coerced into self-harm and other harmful acts directed at people or animals. In some cases, victims are forced to record or livestream the abuse.
Lindsay Lobb, director of operations with the Canadian Centre for Child Protection, said her organization began seeing an increase in reports related to these groups in 2022.
“Juat in the first 5 months of 2026 we are receiving reports that are indicating that we are going more than double our reports from last year,” said Lobb.
Police say awareness and open communication remain key tools in helping protect young people from online exploitation and radicalization.
