Three teenagers were arrested in the town of New Bedford, Massachusetts, on suspicion of planning a school attack that could have surpassed the 1999 Columbine high school massacre, local news media reported yesterday.
The teenagers were planning to set off explosives at New Bedford High School and open fire on their 3,300 classmates as they fled, Mr Richard Spirlet of the New Bedford police, told the Boston Herald.
On Saturday, police arrested a 17-year-old and two 15-year-olds, and charged them with conspiracy to commit murder, conspiracy to commit an assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, and possession of ammunition, according to the Herald.
The teenagers "said specifically it will be bigger than Columbine", the town police chief, Mr Arthur Kelly, told the newspaper.
Police said the teenagers were arrested with shotgun shells, a flare gun, knives, information on making bombs, and boxes of articles depicting violence.
Police were tipped off when a school janitor came across a letter on the school floor on November 20th warning of "an event" involving explosives that would take place at school on "a Monday", according to the Herald.
In October, police found a nearly completed bomb at the home of one of the teenagers after being tipped off by the landlord. But a key element was missing from the bomb - "something that you can buy at a hardware store," Mr Spirlet said - and police were unable to press charges, the Herald reported.
On April 20th, 1999, in the upper middle-class community of Littleton, Colorado, teenagers Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold went on a rampage at Columbine High School, killing 13 and wounding more than 20 others before turning their guns on themselves.