Oct 21, 2009 1:24 pm US/Eastern
Charges Expected In Upstate NY School Attack Plot
CENTRAL VALLEY, N.Y. (CBS) ―
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A student who attends Monroe Woodbury High School in Monroe, N.Y. (pictured here) was arrested after planning a massacre on the school on the anniversary of the Columbine attack.
CBS
Charges are expected to be filed against a 15-year-old boy who police say stockpiled gasoline, propane, fuses and a machete for a planned attack on a Hudson Valley school.
Monroe police Chief Dominic Giudice said the boy, whose name hasn't been released, was taken into custody Monday after police searched his home in Monroe, 45 miles northwest of New York City. "He wanted to obviously kill people," Giudice said.
Police said he told them he planned to attack the Monroe-Woodbury High School on April 20, the anniversary of the Columbine High School killings, and was looking to buy an assault rifle.
Orange County Attorney David Darwin says Wednesday the investigation is continuing and charges will likely be filed in family court.
The boy remains in custody at a psychiatric facility. Neither his parents, nor sister, were home, a sister who attends the very high school he planned to attack.
Students learned of the vicious plan after getting a letter from the superintendent, stating a former student was making threats and had been arrested.
"He never seemed like that bad of a kid. I was surprised it was him who was going to do that," said Monroe-Woodbury High School senior Brandon Gristina.
"I was so scared because of all my friends. Imagine if Columbine would have happened to us," senior Katie Dodson said.
The unusually forthright suspect, who had recently been expelled, told police he had a lot of hatred towards a lot of the kids who attend Monroe-Woodbury High School.
"He indicated to us that the reason for doing this was he was tired of being bullied," Chief Giudice said.
The teen has been charged with two counts of criminal possession of a weapon. The boy also said he was actively looking for an assault-type weapon.
Monroe Superintendent Joseph DiLorenzo issued the following letter to parents in lieu of the investigation:
"The Monroe Police have arrested a student for making threats against the high school. The student, although registered with the district, attends school at a satellite location. The police believe that the threat had credibility and the investigation is ongoing. The willingness of students to come forward with information and the quick response of the police have averted any threat to the district. As always the safety of our students and staff is of primary concern. We will continue to be diligent in our efforts to monitor the conduct of all of our students. We are working closely with law enforcement to do everything possible to keep our children safe."
Police believe the boy was acting alone in the plot.
(© 2009 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
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