June 23, 1999
Web posted at: 7:42 PM EDT (2342 GMT)

PARADISE, California (CNN) -- Three seventh-graders in Paradise, California, face felony conspiracy charges for planning to blow up their school and shoot fellow students and teachers, according to county authorities.

Butte County District Attorney Mike Ramsey told CNN that the conspiracy charges will be brought against the trio in the next two weeks and that they could also be expelled from school.

Paradise Unified School District superintendant Richard Landis told CNN that the boys were arrested Tuesday, then released to their parents' custody.

Landis said the boys, two 13-year-olds and one 12-year-old, apparently planned to detonate bombs and shoot teachers and students at Paradise Intermediate School, about 80 miles north of Sacramento. He said the attack was planned for the year 2002.

"If it wasn't for the Littleton situation, we would have chalked it up to just kids talking," Landis said.

Classes ended June 4 in Paradise.

Landis confirmed that another student told his parents about the trio's plan, and that the parents told police earlier this month.

Landis said he first heard about the alleged conspiracy on June 16, when he was contacted by police. Landis said police searched the boys' home and found no weapons or explosives -- but they did find written material.

During the next few weeks, the three boys will be brought before the district's board of trustees, which will decide whether to expel the trio, Landis said.