Burlington High School

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• One boy says alleged plot only a joke
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November 16, 1998
Web posted at: 11:02 p.m. EDT (0302 GMT)

BURLINGTON, Wisconsin (CNN) -- People in this community were stunned to learn that five teen-age boys had been arrested for allegedly plotting to kill students and staff at the local high school.

"This is something that only happens in the big city, and it's kinda scary hitting so close to home," said one man in the town about 25 miles southwest of Milwaukee.

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Authorities say the boys intended to carry out the attack Monday and had planned a classroom-to-classroom blood bath.

"Each of them had picked out some students. A total of 15 to 20 students had been selected," said Burlington Assistant Police Chief Gary Large. The boys planned to force the school principal and other administrators to lead them to the students on that list.

Authorities say the motive was revenge against students who had taunted them and "treated them like trash." Prosecutor Richard Barta also said the boys described their plot as a suicide mission.

Other students picked on the boys because of their satanic image, said freshman John Janowski.

The boys "kind of wanted people to be afraid of them," Janowski said. "They didn't communicate with the normal-type people. They're more in their own devil-worshiping type of world."

Another student said the boys dressed weird and kept to themselves.

"They'd make up a lot of stories, and they just tried to act out and be individual," said the student. "But I think this time they took it a little too far."

Large said the boys, all 15 or 16, told police they had intended to use guns stolen from one of the youngsters' homes. But that teen-ager got cold feet and tried to back out, so the group never got the weapons.

Police were tipped off by an informant and arrested the suspects Sunday night. Three appeared in juvenile court Monday and were ordered held without bail on charges of conspiracy to commit murder. Two others were released but may still face charges.

One boy says alleged plot only a joke

One of the released boys told WISN-TV of Milwaukee that the plot was just a joke he and his friends started because one of them was angry at his parents.

"It was just like a little joke, but everybody's taking it way too serious," the youth said.

Many parents took it so seriously they kept their children home from school, said Peter Smet, school district business manager.

"Everybody was wondering if they were on the list and what if, what if," said sophomore Angelique Robinson.

Burlington's mayor calls the suspects' arrest a wake-up call for the city.

"It's something a lot of people think would never happen here in their city of 10,000," said Mayor Jeannie Hefty. "But I feel that our community and other communities are never isolated."

CNN Correspondent Patty Davis and The Associated Press contributed to this report.