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Saturday, Dec 15, 2012 5:22 PM UTC

Oklahoma HS student arrested for plotting massacre

The arrest reportedly took place before the Newtown Conn. shooting

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Topics: Oklahoma, Shooting, School shooting, Newtown, Sandy Hook, Gun Control, Newtown shooting, Sandy hook Shooting, Colt .45, ,

Oklahoma HS student arrested for plotting massacreThree variations of the AR-15 assault rifle. (AP/Rich Pedroncelli)

Police arrested a high school student in Bartlesville, Okla. Friday for allegedly plotting a school massacre involving guns and bombs, the Tulsa World writes. Bail was set at $1 million.

The paper reports:

“Sammie [Eaglebear Chavez] tried to recruit other students to assist him with carrying out a plan to lure students into the school auditorium where he planned to begin shooting them after chaining the doors shut,” Bartlesville Police Lt. Kevin Ickleberry wrote in the affidavit, which was filed in Washington County District Court.

“He also told them that if the students assisting him did not do what they were supposed to do, he would not hesitate to kill them and/or himself.”

Police were notified of the plot Thursday afternoon by school administrators who had been told of the alleged plan by another student, the affidavit states. Chavez had told the students he would place bombs by the auditorium doors and that when police arrived, he would detonate them.

The affidavit also states that Chavez had acquired a Colt .45 pistol, and had been trying to secure a map of the school. In addition students had witnessed him researching the 1999 Columbine massacre and instructions for making pipe bombs.

CBS station KJRH reports that Chavez was arrested at 5 a.m. Friday morning, before the massacre in Newtown, Conn.

Alex Halperin is news editor at Salon. You can follow him on Twitter @alexhalperin. More Alex Halperin.

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