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School shooting plans detailed in court

Lawyers agree on two years in jail for teens

By: Gabrielle Giroday

30/10/2009 1:00 AM | Comments: 9

The disturbingly complex plans two Winnipeg teenagers had to kill their classmates were revealed in court Thursday, including high-speed driving lessons to practice evading police and a closet full of stolen guns.

Lawyers for the Crown and defence recommended the two Winnipeg high school students spend only two more years behind bars as the lawyers described a plot to kill dozens of people.

Last month, the 17-year-old boy and 18-year-old girl pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit murder.

On Thursday, both teenagers told a judge they were sorry for plotting to kill students at Fort Richmond and Lorette collegiates, the University of Manitoba and Church of the Rock.

The judge heard the teenagers stole rifles and shotguns from an elderly relative of the boy and hid the weapons in the girl's closet in late 2008.

"I just want to apologize in public. I really screwed up and I tried to better myself," the boy said.

The petite girl also addressed the court, staring intently at her mother.

"I wish to apologize to the community and to all that have been affected," she said. "I'm sorry."

The duo's plans included using stolen floor plans of the church to map out their intended rampage.

They shared a detailed plot to lock high school students and staff in an auditorium before setting it alight with Molotov cocktails and shooting those who tried to escape.

The pair planned to watch from an auditorium window until police arrived.

They intended to then escape through a trap door and take off in a Hummer belonging to the boy's father, while shooting bystanders until they killed themselves or officers stopped them.

Police were tipped off to the pair's plans after a young friend called Crime Stoppers and left a tip.

Days later last January, the two were arrested after the boy drank laundry detergent and the girl went to hospital after slashing her wrists.

Both have been in custody in the Manitoba Youth Centre for about 10 months.

Building a case against the youths for the shooting rampage has challenged the Crown.

Crown Attorney Susan Baragar said the conspiracy to commit murder charge is highly unusual under the Youth Criminal Justice Act.

"Often, in situations like this, the plan is really a murder-suicide," she said. "Consequently, the perpetrators are dead, so the matters never reach the court."

The boy and the girl had agreed they would kill the other if that person backed out of the plot.

Baragar told Judge Brian Corrin there are no precedents in the Canadian legal system for the case.

That led to extensive discussions between Crown attorneys and defence counsel on a joint submission.

Baragar told court each youth should spend two more years behind bars and three years on strict probation.

The decision to seek a joint submission was due in part to debate around admissibility of statements both youth made to police, she said.

She also said the "compromised psychological" state of each youth was an issue.

"We have to keep in mind (the rampage) was not carried out," she said.

Both youths agreed to be raised to adult court for sentencing, but a court order means the Free Press is not allowed to publish their names.

Parents of both teens were in court Thursday, as was a pastor from a local church.

During a break, the lanky young man cupped his hands in a heart shape to his parents, who sat in the front row.

Neither of the youths have prior criminal records and both have been victims of bullying and social isolation.

The boy shows symptoms of Asperger's syndrome and has struggled with emotional problems, but has improved with treatment available in custody.

"He's not the fellow that first went to the Youth Centre," said his lawyer Greg Brodsky.

School officials had done risk assessments on both teens before their arrests, leading the boy's father to move his guns to a home in Portage la Prairie for storage.

The boy and girl later persuaded a friend to drive them to Portage, where they entered the home with a stolen key and hid the weapons in garbage bags.

gabrielle.giroday@freepress.mb.ca

 

Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition October 30, 2009 A5

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9 Commentscomment icon

can we try the bulliers? do we know who they are? do we know where they are? how many of them are there? let's string 'em up.

Seeing as they both agreed to be raised to adult court they should do adult time. I say 15 years each at least is a good start. They were planning on using a Hummer to evade police? They could have done a lot of damage and injured, or killed, many people if they tried running from the cops in a Hummer. It sounds like they had a well thought out plan and the only thing they are sorry for is getting caught. Sounds like their friend saved a lot of people from a horrible painful death.

Also, no surprise Greg Brodsky's name is all over this case. Anytime murderers or attempted murderers are asking for a small sentence you know Brodsky's involved. The "strict" probation should be held at Brodsky's and Baragar's houses.

Poor bored little rich kids. If it were a different ethnic group they would have been locked up and forgotten about.
Their apologies make me want to puke. They don't sound sincere or remorseful at all. She looked at her mother when giving her apology, why? So she would get her allowance? Just seems like these kids are just apologizing to please their parents.
I find this disturbing!

~Baragar also said the "compromised psychological" state of each youth was an issue."We have to keep in mind (the rampage) was not carried out," she said.

I couldn't imagine if it did! Why do these people who are in a position to change things for the better, don't?!! Use these 2 as examples! Obviously they were going to go through with it. The only reason they didn't go through with it was because their plan was foiled. Kudos to the person who called Crimestoppers, she/he saved a lot of lives!!

This is unreal...they were raised to adult court and they were given 2 years? Ummmm Okkaaayyyy....Hope the judge is held responsible when others try to finish off what these kids started. This judge just gave the go-ahead to kill teachers, students & the innocent with no ramifications whatsoever!
Yep, this sentence is a deterrent to others! NOT! This judge should have used these kids as examples, so no other kids or anyone would ever think about planning something as serious as this! Heaven forbid someone actually goes through with something like this...and if they do, this Judge should be held partially accountable.

it takes a mentally disturbed person to hatch a plan like this, and although they say they are sorry, from the sounds of it, this duo are very smart and probably know a thing or two about manipulation, not saying they arent sorry, but judging by the published evidence they new what grounds to cover and went to great lengths to have a concrete plan. agreeing to kill your friend if they backed out is proof enough that these two are not in there right frame of mind. these two need some heavy duty therapy and would probably be better off in a mental institution than sitting in the remand.

I find the sentence recommendation by Crown Attorney Susan Baragar appalling! Obviously she doesn't have any relatives attending this school. We can only hope Judge Brian Corrin uses more common sense, rejects this atrocious plea deal, and hands down a more appropriate sentence!
Steven Baird
Managing Director
Street Smart Kidz
Canada

It's about time that certain Parents/Caregivers to start "invading" thier children's bedrooms and to remind these kids on whom The Homeowner and Bill Payers are! And to not be afraid to call Police on their own kids, if need be.

If these kids want thier privacy, they can MOVE OUT, find thier OWN PLACE and PAY for it ON THIER OWN!

"both have been victims of bullying..."

This is NO EXCUSE! During my school years, I (and many others) were also victims of bullying and as a result have NEVER committed any crimes and/or made plans for murder, etc.

As well, Thank God for that young friend who was very smart to call Crime Stoppers. I think he/she saved many lives!

I know for a fact that the trap door in the stage is locked all the time from the way they would have tried to use it.

To get in to unlock it would have been very difficult for them.

Still, this is a sick, scary story. As a FRC grad I'm appalled.

We always have the debate in the child welfare system about whether or not to search the kids rooms. Some worry it's an invasion of privacy. For me, it's a matter of life and death and that is clearly outlined in this story. Parents and caregivers NEED to be monitoring their kids. Plain and simple.

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