Wow, this is crazy. Lucky the police caught them before anything happened.
http://www.wluk.com/common/article.shtm ... 3499026138In case the link doesn't work.
GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) - Two 17-year-olds who apparently planned to go on a shooting spree and detonate explosives at a high school were fascinated with the massacre at Columbine High School in
Colorado, officials said Friday.
William C. Cornell and Shawn R. Sturtz were arrested Thursday at East High School, police said, after a student went to an associate principal and that person then told a school resource officer.
"If someone hadn't come forward, we'd be talking about funerals instead of charges," Brown County District Attorney John Zakowski said Friday at a news conference.
Zakowski said the two were expected in court Friday for a bond hearing. They were arrested for suspicion of conspiracy to commit first-degree intentional homicide and conspiracy to commit arson.
They were not formally charged.
Capt. Lisa Sterr said the two frequently talked about plans to attack the school and have police shoot them.
Sterr said police found nine rifles and shotguns, one handgun, about 20 "crudely made" explosive devices, camouflage clothing, gas masks, two-way radios, numerous pellet guns and hundreds of rounds of ammunition at Cornell's house.
Sterr said the bombs they found were made of things like toilet paper rolls, gun powder, BBs and duct tape and apparently were to be detonated by firecrackers, Sterr said.
Also found at Cornell's home were six one-quart jars of gasoline, Sterr said.
Cornell made several of the improvised explosive devices about two months ago and stored them at his home, Sterr said.
Some of the guns at Cornell home were "from a collection of a family member," Sterr said.
One of the guns was a semi-automatic weapon, Green Bay police
Detective Tom Molitor. Police found knives and ammunition at Sturtz's home, but no dangerous materials were found at school, Sterr said.
Sturtz was described as being obsessed with pain and death, Sterr said. The two had been depressed over the last couple of years and hated school, Sterr said.
She said both had long been fascinated with the incident at Littleton, Colo., in April 1999, when two students at Columbine High School armed with guns, knives and bombs killed 12 students and a teacher before killing themselves.
Sterr said police found mannequin heads that appeared to be used for target practice.
Sturtz had a relationship over the Internet with a girl that ended, Sterr said.
"Sturtz was very upset about this and became extremely enraged and (Wednesday) talked of soon attacking the school like Columbine," Sterr said.
A student went to an associate principal at the school and that person contacted school resource officer, according to School Superintendent Dan Nerad.
The student was "shook up" but he declined to provide any other details about age or sex of student.
Police Chief Craig Van Schyndle had said officers found suicide notes by the two.
Molitor said the two just needed a triggering event to pull off their plan.
"They were one bad day away from something happening. It could have happened yesterday," he said.
Asked whether the two were cooperating with investigators, Molitor declined to comment other than to say they have gathered details from credible sources.
"I believe there probably were other people who knew about it. It was very good luck that this person came forward," Molitor said.
Zakowski said the focus of the investigation Friday was the teens, not their parents.
"As for the parents, there has to be a crime. You can't charge someone for being ignorant," Zakowski said.
Mayor Jim Schmitt said the student that came forward about the plan was a hero.
"It is upsetting as a father and as the mayor. Where were the parents?," Schmitt asked.
