NEWS: Student Arrested in Plot to Blow Up School

A fifteen year old boy has been arrested for planning to blow up his school. The boy had shown a strong interest in the Columbine school shootings and a search of his home revealed scores of data on the event as well as autopsy reports for the Columbine shooters. Also found were bomb making material including fuses and gunpowder.




He had mentioned his plans to other student who reported him to school officials. While we need to see what can be done to reach these troubled teens, we also need to encouraged the exact response other students did in this case. Had they kept quiet who knows how this would have turned out. I'm not sure if you can spot these potential troublemakers in real time. As with anything hindsight allows you perfect vision and to view events in a linked fashion as opposed to random events.

You are right, unfortunately I have noticed that some people believe reporting this sort of thing is just to "rat out" others. I guess some people don't care that lives can be saved when reporting this sort of troubled kid.

What ever happened to innocent until proven guilty? Get this kid some help but don't arrest him for something he didn't do. Even though he's a minor and will probably get away with it, we have a thing called freedom of information that apparently we use as bait. ALLEGEDLY plotting to blow up a school? Let's lock him up and throw away the key, right?

Originally posted by insite
What ever happened to innocent until proven guilty? Get this kid some help but don't arrest him for something he didn't do. Even though he's a minor and will probably get away with it, we have a thing called freedom of information that apparently we use as bait. ALLEGEDLY plotting to blow up a school? Let's lock him up and throw away the key, right?

He was found with bomb making materials ANd he told other students he was gonna blow up the school....

These type of things make you wonder however,
Are they in trouble because they could have blown up the school? What if they hadn't busted him and he changed his mind at the last minute.
Don't get me wrong, it would have been bad if he actually had, but it's kinda like arresting someone who owns a gun because they /could/ shoot someone.

Yeah I would have been furious if they arrested him on just downloading information but the fact that they found gunpowder and other materials and that he told some buddies he was gonna do it is reason enough. Back when I was in middle school I too was a bit fascinated with the whole Columbine thing and had these sort of thoughts in my head as well. I never acted on them because I wasnt really that crazy I just thought it would be a good way to go out since I was a bit of a loser back then. I was never too serious about it and it was mostly something I joked with my REAL friends about who werent at all concerned because they knew I wouldnt do such a thing. The problem with these kids varies but for me it was my grades in school and how I hated school. I had lots of friends and a pretty good life I just really hated school and some of the teachers sucked. I guess when you add some hardcore depression into the mix and I guess problems at home you get some crazy people willing to take lives and give up their own at the same time. I can only imagine these type of events will increase since the world is after all ending.

Originally posted by Mbuhir
These type of things make you wonder however,
Are they in trouble because they could have blown up the school? What if they hadn't busted him and he changed his mind at the last minute.
Don't get me wrong, it would have been bad if he actually had, but it's kinda like arresting someone who owns a gun because they /could/ shoot someone.

It is not the same....

People have to go through a background check to be able to own a gun....

This kid threatened to blow up the school and he had explosives....

This is not "kinda like arresting someone who owns a gun..."

Bomb making materials? Fuses and gunpowder? In that case I have a few "bombs" I like to "blow up" around 4th of July. Besides, whoever thought to use High School students as informants is crazy, my own parents barely ever believed the words coming out of my mouth. With cliques and feuds and all the other high school drama that leads to these violent actions in the first place, who can you trust?

This kid will be out of the slammer in no time and if we thought this was the worst he could do, imagine what a few months in lockdown and the understanding that your supposed 'friends' ratted you out will do. All I know is if you wanted to blow up a school, first you don't tell anyone and second you dont use a fuse and some gunpowder for chrissakes. It's obvious this kid was a bit of an attention seeker who got his thrills from researching morbid acts, but come with some more solid evidence before you start indicting kids for major terroristic threats. Sounds a lot like Salem.

*EDIT: Redundant word usage

[edit on 4-3-2005 by insite]

You think the police would have detained this kid for having regular firecrackers..... There are some firecrackers that are illegal, but I am pretty sure that if he was found with "firecrakers" it would have said so in the report...instead of gunpowder and bomb making materials....

[edit on 3-4-2005 by Muaddib]

I am very glad that this boy was caught in time, I guess schools are becoming more aware of their students problems and they are listening to what other students suspect.

Good job.

I guess he wanted to be caught when he told others of his plans.

Umm...this outright conspiracy to act. This kid should be in trouble. Just saying it does not mean anything, but when you have access to the materials you need to accomplish your "stated objectives", you have gone far past making idle threats...you crossed over into the conpisracy area.

Gunpowder and fuses could be anything, that's all I'm saying. It just doesn't sound very destructive to me especially considering there are high schoolers out there who can easily obtain C4 and other more potent explosive devices.

Back in the days of Yor kids used to actually play with gunpowder and make their own fuses, but those were simpler times when your neighbor wasn't on constant Orange Alert for possible terrorism related activities. Witch hunt... that's all this is. It's police claiming to have nabbed a risky student before it was too late. More propaganda to stoke the nations fire of fear, YAY I feel safe...

I think there are a couple of things to keep in mind here -- it was other students who he confided in who were concerned enough to contact the authorities. Also the fact that he had
not just talked about it but he had started buying materials and constructing the (not actually sure if this is the right word but) devices.

And finally they arrested him just 2 days after the Weiss incident int Minnesota -- do you think that any school or any authorities of any kind want to take a chance on him doing something and then having to explain how they knew all of the above and did nothing at all.

Sit down tonight and tell your children not to discuss an attack on the school.

In the Indianapolis area 3 teens were arrested for discussing it.

Teens Accused Of Discussing Columbine-Style Attack

MUNCIE, Ind. -- A call to a confidential tip line led police to arrest three teens on suspicion of talking about launching a gun attack at Muncie Southside High School, authorities said.

They were overheard doing some talking about coming into school, and I think there was some talk about some explosives and maybe using some firearms, but nothing real specific," Muncie Police Chief Joe Winkle said Friday.

The teens were being held at a juvenile detention center Friday. They have been suspended from school

I can see checking out the story, and looking for evidence.
I can see taking them downtown and putting the fear of god in them.
I cannot see arresting them, and putting them in juvi for discussing it.

It is a fine line I guess between prevention, and harrasment, but come on.

You can build explosives out of homemade materials though. Arresting kids and threatening them isn't going to do the trick with stopping these attacks. The whole reason why kids are upset is because they are going through depression or anger or things like it.

Yes, this wasn't good, and yes I think future events should be prevented, but the manner in which they are prevented should be different. There should be counseling programs of some sort.

Well its doesnt really matter how powerful the device is for you to get into trouble. Im sure if the kid had a bunch of M80's torn to peices on a desk they would mark it as "bomb materials" because it can still hurt someone. Im usually againts the feds and this could very well be some sort of setup on the kid but to the cops anything that can pretty much "hurt" someone is considered really dangerous and must be dealt with.

I see some good points on the thread but remember that we have to take in consideration that so far it has been to many casualties when a child decided to got on a rampage.

So we should not complain about taking some arrested for talking about it, the good thing is that at least it was done before something happen.

I imagine that the families of the students arrested will be doing anything they can to make sure is fair.

[edit on 3-4-2005 by marg6043]

Originally posted by Mbuhir
The whole reason why kids are upset is because they are going through depression or anger or things like it.
Yes, this wasn't good, and yes I think future events should be prevented, but the manner in which they are prevented should be different. There should be counseling programs of some sort.

I completely agree that there should be counseling programs available to kids -- I hope we will find this put in place soon for all kids going thru rough periods. But I think it will take time to see it because many parents will not want their children seeing a therapist at the request of the school because of any stigma they feel will be attached to the kids and also the fact that they are afraid it will be on their "permanent" record.

In the mean time all people can do is listen to what is going on and acting on what they feel is the biggest threat.

I know there will be kids who were just joking around or doing a "what if" exercise who probably will be caught up in it .. but I really can't think of another way to be alert to any possible threats. And if other students are turning the kids in like the original one mentioned in the article I think it should be taken seriously because I know my friends would have know me better than my parents at that time in my life.

jm

gunpowder and fuzes are bomb making material? Conspiracy maybe but this kid needs to be rehab'ed not thrown in jail for life.

Originally posted by FredT
He had mentioned his plans to other student who reported him to school officials. While we need to see what can be done to reach these troubled teens, we also need to encouraged the exact response other students did in this case. Had they kept quiet who knows how this would have turned out. I'm not sure if you can spot these potential troublemakers in real time. As with anything hindsight allows you perfect vision and to view events in a linked fashion as opposed to random events.

Good think the students turned him in. Imagine what the outcome might have been if he had gotten away with his plans.