Girl who told teacher of massacre plot at school is charged

Associated Press

BOSTON — A 17-year-old girl who authorities say agreed to take part in a Columbine-style massacre at her school but spilled the secret by warning her favorite teacher that the woman was in danger was charged Tuesday with conspiracy to commit murder.

Amy Lee Bowman, who pleaded innocent, is the fourth teen-ager charged in what authorities say was a plan to smuggle guns under black trench coats into the school and emerge from a restroom shooting to kill.

Three other students — brothers Eric McKeehan, 17, and Michael McKeehan, 15; and Steven Jones, 15 — were charged earlier in the plot to kill "thugs, preps and faculty" at New Bedford High School. They pleaded innocent Monday to conspiracy to commit murder, possession of ammunition and other charges.

An unidentified 16-year-old is scheduled for arraignment today on the same charges, police said.

Unlike the other defendants, Bowman was released pending her next court appearance, on Dec. 17. "Sometimes we have to treat people differently based on the circumstances," prosecutor Raymond Veary said.

The students allegedly modeled themselves after the two teen-agers who carried out the 1999 Columbine High School massacre near Littleton, Colo. Fifteen people were killed, including the two suicidal gunmen.

Bowman agreed to smuggle guns in and take part in the shooting, but tipped off her favorite teacher, Rachel Jupin, about the details of the plan because she did not want to see the woman killed, according to police.

Jupin contacted the assistant headmaster, who eventually turned the matter over to police. Police questioned Bowman, and the teen-ager disclosed the plot, authorities said.

Police also learned of the plan through a note discovered by a janitor and other evidence. School and city officials said they believe the plan would probably have gone forward if authorities had not intervened.

The McKeehans and Jones planned to videotape their killing spree, then climb onto the school’s roof to smoke marijuana, drink alcohol, and possibly take acid before shooting each other, according to police.

The students were arrested at their homes Saturday.

Copyright ©2001 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

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