Get ready. This story sounds more like the script to an episode of Criminal Minds than a real piece of news. More than that, it sounds like every parent’s worst nightmare.
Two fifth-grade boys in Washington have been thwarted in their attempt to murder their classmates, starting with a young girl who briefly “dated” one of the little boys. The 10 and 11-year-old boys stole a semi-automatic weapon from an older brother and a 3.25-inch knife, planning to stab the little girl and shoot anyone who attempted to interfere. They also had a list of six other classmates that they were planning to kill by luring them off school property and attacking them.
The way that the young boys talked about the crimes is extremely disturbing. They told police, “Yes, I just want her dead.” As to motive, the boys said that the little girl was rude and picked on them and their friends. An officer also overheard one boy telling the other, ”If I find out who told them about our weapons, I’m going to kill them. I don’t care; when I get out of jail I’m going to come back and kill them.”
The boys’ plan was thwarted when a schoolmate told administrators about the plot. The boys had even brought their weapons to school with the intent of carrying out the crime.
In Washington, children under the age of 12 are not thought to have the capacity for rational decision-making needed to commit a crime. The boys will have to be evaluated to determine whether they understood exactly what they were doing. An officer noted in his interview that the older boy, ”did not display any emotion or remorse during the interview.”
This entire story is simply horrifying. It’s horrifying to think of the parents of these boys, facing the idea that their children could commit cold-blooded murder. It’s horrifying for the victims and their families, who were the targets of a brutal plot. It’s horrifying for the school in general.
Thankfully, one brave student came forward before something tragic happened. We should be rejoicing the close call and that countless lives weren’t ruined. But it’s hard to see the good when there are two boys so disturbed. It’s hard to breathe a sigh of relief over a story that still leaves so much sadness.
(Photo: Ilike/Shutterstock)
