School shooting plans detailed in court

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