Six Alaska middle school students arrested in weapons, murder plot

~ The students could face charges of first-degree conspiracy to commit murder.

FAIRBANKS, Alaska -- Six middle school students in a small Alaska town were arrested Saturday on suspicion of plotting to bring guns and knives to school and kill fellow students.

The arrests stem from an investigation into rumors reported to police earlier in the week about the students' plans in North Pole, a town of 1,600 people about 14 miles southeast of Fairbanks, said police chief Paul Lindhag.

The seventh-graders wanted to seek revenge for being picked on by other students as well as disliking staff and students, Lindhag said.

The students had planned to disable North Pole Middle School's power and telephone systems, allotting time to kill their victims and escape out of town, Lindhag said. He would not elaborate on the case, or what evidence led to the students' arrests.

"These are the ones who had major roles in this," Lindhag said. "All our information came through our interviews and stuff like that. There were many hours of interviews, including with witnesses and those who were arrested."

Authorities said the students could face charges of first-degree conspiracy to commit murder.

"I don't think it can get more serious than that," Lindhag said.

The allegations came just days after five Kansas teenagers suspected of planning a shooting rampage at their high school were arrested on Thursday, the seventh anniversary of the Columbine massacre.

School officials in Riverton, Kan., learned that a threatening message had been posted on the Internet, authorities said. The boys ages 16 to 18 will stay in custody through the weekend while prosecutors decide whether to file charges, a judge ruled Saturday.

The North Pole boys, whose names were not released, were among 15 students at the school who were suspended after a parent tipped police Monday evening. A child told the parent that rumors were circulating about the alleged plot, which originally was planned for earlier that day, then changed to the following day, Lindhag said.

The suspended students were quickly identified by officers working with a school safety official. Parents were contacted and told to keep the students away from 500-student campus on Tuesday. Lindhag said authorities don't believe all the suspended students were involved, but that officials were erring on the side of caution.

"There were a lot of rumors flying around," he said.

The six were arrested were taken to the Fairbanks Youth Facility in Fairbanks.

Locals are "shocked, saddened and heartbroken about whole situation," but area schools have long had policies in place to deal with such a crisis, said Wayne Gerke, an assistant superintendent with the Fairbanks North Star Borough School District.

"And we feel very thankful that a student felt they could talk to an adult, and very thankful that the adult had the wisdom to contact the North Pole Police Department," Gerke said.

The other students remain suspended while the investigation continues, and police presence will continue at the school until the end of the school year, according to school district officials.

"People are people," the police chief said. "Something like this can happen anywhere, in a city big or small."