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Police: NY teen planning school attack was bullied

October 20, 2009

FILE -This 1998 file yearbook photo from Columbine High School in Littleton, Colo. shows Dylan Klebold. The mother of the Columbine killer says she has been studying suicide in the decade since the high school massacre but had no idea her son was suicidal until she read his journals after his death. Susan Klebold’s essay in next month’s issue of O, The Oprah Magazine, is the most detailed response yet from any of the parents of Columbine killers Dylan Klebold or Eric Harris.

MONROE, N.Y. (AP) — A 15-year-old boy accused of stockpiling gasoline, propane and a machete for a planned school attack on the anniversary of the Columbine school massacre burst into tears and admitted to police he was upset about being bullied, according to the detective who interviewed him.

The boy, whose name hasn’t been released, was taken into custody Monday after investigators searched his home in Monroe, 45 miles northwest of New York City, said police Chief Dominic Giudice Jr. He remained in custody at a psychiatric facility Wednesday.

The investigation was continuing, but charges will likely be filed in juvenile court, Orange County Attorney David Darwin said Wednesday.

The boy told police he planned to attack Monroe-Woodbury High School on April 20, the 11th anniversary of the Columbine High School shootings in Colorado in which 13 people were killed by two suicidal teenagers.

Police, acting on a tip, searched the boy’s home and found four 16-ounce water bottles filled with gasoline, rags that could be used as fuses, a machete, a long black coat similar to one worn by the Columbine killers, three 20-pound propane tanks and a small propane torch. They also seized two computers and several other data storage devices that are still being analyzed by the district attorney’s office.

Police said the boy told them he was looking to buy an assault rifle.

“It was obvious that he was depressed and as we were talking, he had no problem explaining to me everything he was planning on doing,” said police Detective David Conklin, who interviewed the boy for about 45 minutes.

Conklin said the boy cried as he explained he was picked on and bullied, and why he wanted to take revenge. The boy had transferred out of Monroe-Woodbury, a school of about 2,500 students, but harbored grudges against former classmates, police said. It appears he was going to act alone.

The boy’s parents had no idea what their son was planning and have been cooperative, police said.

The teen was already on juvenile probation stemming from a nonviolent arrest in January. The details of that case are sealed.