Zakiah Aini, the Lone Wolf Attacker of the National Indonesian Police

A loner

The youngest of six children, Zakiah mostly kept to herself at home after dropping out of Gunadarma. "She hardly hung out with people in the neighborhood," recalled Kasdi, the subdistrict head of the Kelapa Dua Wetan neighborhood in the East Jakarta district of Ciracas.

"I myself have never seen her around. According to her siblings, [Zakiah] would only come out on the terrace for a few minutes then go back to her room," he noted to Kompas.com.

Kasdi said his son often played with Zakiah’s nephew at her house. But he never interacted with Zakiah, as she always locked herself in her room.

Changing cellphone numbers

"[Zakiah's] family was looking for her [when she attacked the National Police headquarters]. But her family had difficulties in tracing her because she constantly changed her phone number," added Kasdi.

"Every time her family traced her number, she would change her SIM card. That was how she stayed a step ahead of them." Her family never resolved this problem until the day of the shooting.

According to Kasdi, "Zakiah left her house at around 8.30 am. She told her parents she will be gone for awhile, but she never came back," he added.

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"Her family reported her as missing to a nearby police station before they received news of the attack on the National Police heaquarters. Two policemen from the Jakarta Metropolitan Police arrived at my door with the news, which was how we found out that she was the attacker." 

A farewell via WhatsApp

A police search of Zakiah’s house revealed that the premeditated nature of the attack on the Indonesian National Police headquarters.

"The police uncovered [Zakiah's] will to her family during their search [of her house]. Our investigators also found that she conveyed her farewells to her family on their Whatsapp," said National Police Chief General Listyo Sigit Prabowo.

Kelapa Dua neighborhood head Sandy Adamsyah confirmed she made the will, which was found by one of her siblings.

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