Cops: Columbine-Style Plot Foiled In Pa.

[NineseveN]

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2007/...n3358114.shtml

14-Year-Old Who Felt Bullied Amassed Guns, Knives And Grenades For Possible School Attack

CBS/AP) A home-schooled teenager amassed a cache of guns, knives and explosive devices and tried to recruit another boy for a possible school attack, authorities said Thursday.

The 14-year-old was taken into custody after police searched his bedroom in a Philadelphia suburb Wednesday evening. He had talked about mounting a Columbine-type attack at Plymouth Whitemarsh High School, authorities said.

CBS News correspondent Maggie Rodriguez reports that officials here know the young suspect's motive: He felt bullied by the students at Plymouth Whitemarsh. But the plot for revenge was foiled when the young man tried to seek out an accomplice who led police to the suspect's house and a disturbing arsenal.

The weapons included a 9 mm assault rifle that the teenager's mother had recently bought for him, Montgomery County District Attorney Bruce L. Castor Jr. said. Prosecutors are reviewing her actions.

Police also found about 30 air-powered guns, swords, knives, a bomb-making book, videos of the 1999 Columbine attack in Colorado and violence-filled notebooks, Castor said. The weapons were plainly visible in the boy's bedroom, Castor said.

Also discovered were seven explosive devices Castor described as homemade grenades: plastic containers filled with BBs to which gunpowder could be added. Authorities said one grenade was operable and the others had been in the process of being assembled.

The search did not turn up any ammunition for the most dangerous firearm in the bunch, the assault rifle.

"I do not think an attack was imminent and I am not certain that an attack was going to occur at all," Castor said at a news conference. "It could have simply been big talking by a kid who thought that he was bullied previously and he was going to exact his revenge."

The teen previously attended middle school in the district but had been taught at home for more than a year after voluntarily leaving school, Castor said.

Plymouth Township police searched the home after getting a tip Wednesday from a high school student and his father.

The teen was charged as a juvenile with solicitation to commit terror and other counts and was being held at a youth facility. He was due in court for an initial appearance Friday morning.

A call to the county Public Defender's Office, which was representing the youth, rang unanswered after business hours.

Castor declined to name the suspect's parents and said he did not think they had retained lawyers.

"They are now under investigation by us, concerning whether there's any complicity in putting the weapon in this boy's hands," Castor said.

The arrest came the same day a 14-year-old in Ohio opened fire at his Cleveland high school, wounding four before killing himself.

Classes were held as usual Thursday at the Pennsylvania high school.

[JayBell]

the pics of the "arsenal " are all airsofts.

As a buddy says, Bruce Castor is a media WHORE.

[Atomic Dog]

And the "Assault Rifle" was a 9mm Hi-Point carbine. (With NO AMMO)


They had the airsoft guns all dressed up to look scary and called it an arsenal. In fact the news report i saw just barely mentioned that they were air rifles at all!


Ask my wife, I was screaming at the T.V.

[DrakinClaw]

since when is a 9mm an assault rifle?

I guess the news just makes it up as they go.

[ca2pa]

Ok. WE all know, or should know that most everybody is not anti-firearm/ownership here. That being said...

quote: He had talked about mounting a Columbine-type attack at Plymouth Whitemarsh High School, authorities said.

If what is said is true, then what should the authorities/community members do? wait for another columbine or VT shooting to occur? Nothing bugs me more than when people shoot up a school, a SCHOOL, and innocent people are murdered. IMHO, this kid deserves whatever he gets for "planning" such a cowardly act (IF what is said is TRUE).
The last thing any parent (note, im not a parent), or older brother wants to hear is his/her family member being killed by some punk ass kid with a handgun or shit, a bb gun for that matter, for no apparent reason other than a kid who has issues and is too afraid to step up to the bully. Shit we've all kicked some ass while in school and gotten the shit kicked out (at least i have) of us at some point or another. Go get some fistic or MMA training, next time you are going to get bullied, whoop some ass, or get your ass kicked AGAIN, but at least knowing you gave it your best shot! I dont think i need to converse about the mother, not all parents are doing a bad thing when buying their underage kids guns....right? (food for thought here).

[JayBell]

It's too much to expect of course, but I want truthfulness and information form our LE authorities, not a media glamfest with "special effects" and outright deception when something like this happens.

of course, the cheap ass hipoint 9mm rifle would look pathetic sitting on a table all by itself, so they make a big press conference and show a bunch of scary toys.

I have a toy minigun (that lights up and makes noises, but doesn't shoot anything) that runs on batteries, I'm sure, if my house was raided the toy would be on display, as it looks "scary"

like I said, it's too much to ask.

[TwistedCopper]

since when is a 9mm an assault rifle?

I guess the news just makes it up as they go.

[sarcasm]Well you have to admit... those carbines are black and look real scary [/sarcasm]

I'm glad this kid didn't hurt anyone, but damn the media makes me sick.

[RocketFoot]

Media scare tactics! I wonder if the kid was even gonna do it? The other kid may have been pissed at him over girl problems and reported that he had this stuff. I'd like to hear the kids side of the story. Heck, they'll expel a kid for wearing a gun t-shirt anymore!

[Azzy]

Why is it these type of things pop up more and more in the news when a clinton is running for office?

[TRB]

The video on ABC this morning showed the "arsenal". The camera panned over a table chock full of airsoft guns and magazines. The shots were closeups of the various items. People who don't own guns would not be able to tell the difference.

The parting shot in the segment was a comment about the shootings in Cleveland. They said that experts said that the shootings did not need to happen. And that the young man did not need to die.