Teens Accused in School Murder Plot

BURLINGTON, Wis. — Police arrested five boys and accused them of plotting to kill certain staff members and students in a classroom-to-classroom blood bath at their high school.

The boys, all 15 or 16, told police they had intended to carry out the attack Monday using guns stolen from one of the youngsters’ homes, said Assistant Police Chief Gary Large. But that teenager tried to back out, so the group never got the guns, police said.

An informant tipped police to the alleged plot, which was said to have targeted people who had picked on the boys.

Two were released without being charged. The others were ordered held without bail in juvenile court Monday on charges of conspiracy to commit murder.

One of the youths who was released told WISN-TV of Milwaukee that the plot was just a joke. The group never seriously tried to get guns and did not intend to carry out the shootings, he said.

The five had allegedly planned to meet at Burlington High School, hold administrators at gunpoint and order them to lock down the school. Police said the boys had a hit list of students and educators, including the principal and assistant principal, along with students who had “treated them like trash,” prosecutor Richard Barta said.