A plot to bomb an Michigan high school was foiled by the alert daughter of a local university police officer who specializes in "cyber crimes":
Authorities credited Celia McGinty of Moscow, Idaho, with foiling a plot to bomb Chippewa Valley High School outside Detroit.
Police said a search of 17-year-old Andrew Osantowski's home last week turned up instructions for making a bomb and videotapes of him with assault weapons. Osantowski was arrested Thursday; his father and a family friend also were charged.
McGinty met Osantowski online in a music chat room three weeks ago. She said Monday on ABC's "Good Morning America" that the boy — who started at Chippewa Valley High School on Aug. 31 — was very specific about how he would take revenge on teachers and schoolmates.
"He told me where he had his weapons," she said. "He gave me his name and address. Who would do that?"
Osantowski has been jailed on more than $1 million bond on 10 felony charges, including threatening an act of terrorism, and could face up to 20 years in prison. A judge entered a plea of not guilty on his behalf.
Police said Osantowski told McGinty about plans for violent revenge at the school, including plans to kill a police liaison officer, and she alerted her father, George, who heads the cyber crime unit for the Washington State University police.
"She realized when the conversation turned bad, it was time to pass that information on," George McGinty said.
Besides the bomb instructions and videotapes, police Friday displayed other items they said were found in the home, including weapons and ammunition, Nazi flags and books about white supremacy and Adolf Hitler.
Marvin Osantowski, 52, the boy's father, was charged with concealing stolen firearms and pleaded not guilty. Bond was set at $500,000.
Sounds like it could have been a disaster waiting to happen, if the boy was serious (and not just a disaffected little bigot shooting off his mouth to a girl). The school has some suggested comments for parents on their site:
What Parents Can Say To Their Child(ren):
You might tell your child the following:
• The student involved in this threatening situation attended your high school for only 10 days. He was a recent transfer from a school outside our district.
• The student who made these threats is in police custody.
• No students or staff members were in danger at any time because of this situation.
• Your high school was thoroughly examined and no dangerous materials or weapons were found.
• The school has always been safe, and it is even more so now.
• Talk to your school counselor or school social worker, if you have any worries or concerns. They are ready to help.
Boy, the school is (understandably) keeping the kid at arm's length. Why was he transferred from the other school? And why would he want to bomb a school he'd been at for only 10 days? He certainly wouldn't have had a lot of time to dislike the people there. Maybe the fact that he was relatively unknown is what is freaking people out. Well, that, and the Nazi flag, and the bomb plans, and the threats, and the ammo.
Posted by kswygert at September 20, 2004 08:46 PM