Two Greater Manchester teenagers have appeared in court on Monday, March 23, 2009, accused of planning to blow up a school and a shopping center.
The youths, aged 16 and 17, had a plan to strike on April 20, 2009, a court heard.
Police sources confirmed the date was chosen to mark the 10th anniversary of the Columbine High School massacre in the US.
Both youngsters appeared flanked by security guards in the dock at Tameside Youth Court. They are jointly accused of a single charge of conspiracy to cause an explosion likely to endanger life and injure property between November 1, 2007 and March 15, 2009.
The elder boy is also charged with possession of child pornography. The teenagers and the school targeted cannot be identified for legal reasons.
It is alleged they had a plan of a school, which has hundreds of pupils and the plan of a shopping center and had the knowledge and method to carry out the attacks on April 20.
That date is the 10th anniversary of the school massacre in Columbine, Colorado, on April 20, 1999.
Disaffected students Eric Harris, 18 and Dylan Klebold, 17, members of the Trench Coat Mafia, a clique of students influenced by Goth culture, used bombs and guns to attack their school killing 12 students and a teacher before turning the guns on themselves.
Both defendants were arrested on Saturday as police swooped in Tameside.
Vivien Vince, chairwoman of the bench, remanded both youths into custody to appear at Minshull Street Crown Court, Manchester, on March 30.
Sources: www.lythamstannesexpress.co.uk, AP; thanks to The Emperor.
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1 comment:
What intrigued me was the mention of November 2007, which implies they have been planning this for a year and a half. That is some long term planning for mass murder - you'd wonder how someone could keep that amount of... "hate" going for so long.
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