'Columbine-Style' Massacre Twarted

SYLMAR -- Two boys accused of planning a Columbine-style attack at Quartz Hill High School in the high desert pleaded innocent Tuesday to charges of conspiracy to commit murder.

Their next court appearance will be on Jan. 4 at a fitness hearing intended to determine if they should be tried as adults, according to the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office. The boys remained in custody, an office spokeswoman said.

Sheriff's deputies announced the arrests of the 15- and 17-year-old boys last week. Deputies said a girl told the school principal about the plot, reporting that the younger of the two had threatened to cut off her arms and legs.

The 15-year-old also is charged with making a criminal threat, according to the District Attorney's Office.

The two, in custody since their arrests, are scheduled to be arraigned in Sylmar Juvenile Court this morning, according to the District Attorney's Office.

The sheriff's department said the attack at the 3,400-student high school was supposed to happen on Valentine's Day.

One of the suspects was enrolled at nearby Littlerock High School. A search of his home turned up live ammunition, a knife, Gothic crossword puzzles, murder suicide puzzles and anarchy/Gothic-type writings, according to Sgt. Darrel D. Brown of the sheriff's Lancaster Station.

The other boy was arrested at his home. A search turned up a gas mask, CO2 canisters, satanic drawings and pictures of domestic terrorists, including the two Columbine killers, both Oklahoma City bombers, Charles Manson, Lee Harvey Oswald and others, authorities said.

Deputies also seized instructions about making bombs, detonators, fuses, a computer, a black trench coat with boots, knives and hate literature.

The plan, according to Brown, was "to kill all of the students who have made fun of him at school and then commit suicide."

The boys did not have any guns but planned to get some from an unnamed friend at a pawn shop, Brown said.

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