Disaster Averted in Green Bay

Green Bay East High School


A bombing plot was foiled in Green Bay.

Islamofascists had nothing to do with this one.

Al Qaeda wasn't calling the shots. This plan was being masterminded by two Green Bay high school students.

GREEN BAY -- Two Green Bay East High School students taken into custody Thursday were depressed, wanted to die at the hands of police officers and allegedly told friends that they might explode the bombs at school, witnesses told police.

Information obtained Thursday by a school resource officer at East led police to a cache of bombs and weapons.

Police searched homes in the 300 block of South Van Buren Street and 1000 block of Cherry Street and found sawed-off shotguns, automatic weapons, pistols, ammunition, and several bombs, according to Green Bay Police Chief Craig Van Schyndle. Bomb-making materials, camouflage clothing, helmets and gas masks were also found along with suicide notes.

“From statements that we heard it gave us great concern that, yes, it was in the very near future something was going to take place,” Van Schyndle said.

...Police said they are considering referring charges of conspiracy to commit murder and conspiracy to commit arson, but Brown County District Attorney John Zakowski said that until interviews are finished it is too early to say what charges the teens could face. Any charges will be handled in adult court, he said.

“This was a Columbine waiting to happen, from the briefing that I’ve had” Zakowski said. “Only they know how close it was to being reality. That’s part of the investigation right now.”

What would make two 17-year-olds want to do this?

Whatever their motives are determined to be, whatever their excuses, they shouldn't be let off the hook.

They aren't poor, mixed-up kids. They aren't victims of anything but their own lack of respect for life and incredible selfishness.

Their scheme allegedly included murder and arson. They wanted to force police officers to kill them.

No, they definitely aren't victims. They were planning to victimize. They were conspiring to commit crimes and kill.


Inside East

Of course, all the various special interests will be quick to jump on this story to advance their own agendas.

Gun opponents will no doubt blame the availability of weapons for the disaster in the making.

Mental health advocates will probably cite a lack of services to address depression.

School officials will likely request more funding for programs to help students make the right choices.

But responsibility for this plot falls squarely on the shoulders of the two students and, to some extent, their parents.

The students were taken into custody Thursday morning at school.

“As soon as the information became known to the staff at East High School, the students were contacted and brought to the office,” said Green Bay Superintendent Daniel Nerad.

Charges could come Friday. Police have planned a press conference for 10 a.m. Friday.

...Nerad said Thursday’s news was “very disconcerting” and urged students to seek help from adults when they are feeling depressed.

Oh, come on.

"Hey, feeling depressed? Do you have a need to acquire enough weapons to arm a small militia? Are you researching how to build bombs that you want to set off at your school?

"Maybe you should talk to an adult about your feelings."

These boys knew what they were doing.

Depression doesn't push one to amass a cache of weapons and bomb-making materials. It doesn't prompt one to plan to detonate bombs at school.

Assuming they weren't clinically insane, completely out of touch with reality, these students willingly made those decisions and they must be held accountable for being the sociopaths that they are.

“Every family in this community can learn from this situation,” he said. “The way we can best learn is to have discussions with our kids on an ongoing basis … While we view this as an extreme situation each family could look at this and have an opportunity to have that discussion to make sure that if kids need help where they (can) go to get help.”

I don't think this has anything to do with these troubled kids not knowing where to go to get help.

I don't buy that.

What 17-year-old doesn't know how to find assistance? That explanation doesn't fly.

Furthermore, most of the weapons were found at the home of one of the boys. The kid was keeping an arsenal.

Shotguns, automatic weapons, bombs, helmets, and gas masks aren't small items. It's not like the kid was stocking something small and easily hidden, like drugs.

The first thing every parent should learn from this is to make it a point to know what's in your kid's room, and to sweat the BIG stuff like shotguns.

Van Schyndle said he was troubled by the amount and types of weapons the kids amassed, but said this issue goes beyond law enforcement and schools.

“This is a whole society problem we’re talking about here,” he said. “We need to continue preventative programs for students that are having problems like this, prevention is the key here.”

Green Bay Police Chief Craig Van Schyndle sounds just like Milwaukee Police Chief Nan Hegerty.

He echoes Hegerty's belief that the problem of violence is bigger than law enforcement. He's buying into her "societal crisis" excuse.

Right. It's society. Society made the two boys want to pull off another Columbine. They were just sort of innocent bystanders, falling under the spell of a sick society.

No. The boys are to blame. They know the difference between right and wrong.

True, prevention is the key to avoid bloodshed.

And the best way to prevent it is by instilling respect for life, valuing hard work and responsibility, and making it clear that one is accountable for one's actions.

If there is indeed a societal crisis, it's rooted in the cheapening of life, by considering it expendable and failing to hold it sacred.

Thankfully, the students' plot was thwarted and they're in custody where they belong, off the streets, where they can do no harm.
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Audio: Press conference about investigation into weapons found at students' homes