In June 2021, inspired by the infamous Columbine mass shooting, four Montreal teenagers came up with a very concrete plan to gun down students at their high school in Saint-Michel. your goal? “Making history. Two accomplices pleaded guilty in the juvenile court on Friday.
Posted at 5:33pm
Louis Samuel Perron The Press
With their trial scheduled to begin next week, the final two defendants in this case preferred to admit their wrongdoing before Judge Paul Grzela on Friday. A boy and girl pleaded guilty to two counts: threatening to kill “students, teachers, staff and police officers” at their school and threatening to burn down their school.
Her accomplices – also a boy and a girl – pleaded guilty to similar charges earlier this year and received 15 and 12 months probation respectively. They had also threatened to kill a certain classmate.
Note that the identities of all young people involved are protected by law.
Their plan germinated in the winter of 2021 after watching the documentary Bowling for Columbine in a class, which focuses on the Columbine massacre in the United States. In 1999, twelve students and one teacher were shot dead by two assassins.
In mid-June 2021, the four accomplices exchanged a lot of disturbing news. Crown Prosecutor Me Claudie Marmet read these messages in a mixture of English and French. Note that “Girl 1” refers to the teenager who pleaded guilty on Friday.
— Girl 1: “It’s today. Be ready. »
— Girl 1: “Last day of school for some. Last day. »
— Girl 2: “Yes. »
— Girl 1: “I feel our happiness. These peasants. »
— Girl 2: “We will make history today. »
— Type 2: “Do I bring the gas that is in my garage?” »
— Girl 2: “Yes. »
— Type 2: “Make sure you bring something to light.” »
— Girl 1: “I took a Magnum, one each. I can see it already, gunshot wounds. »
— Girl 2: “All over the news. »
— Girl 1: “Get ready for our party. It’s our judgment day [day of reckoning]. »
— Girl 1: “Who are the cool kids now?” »
— Type 2: “Let’s make history. Let them remember who we are. »
— Girl 1: “Attempted mass murder charges. »
[…]
— Girl 2: “Don’t worry. Our plan is perfect. It will be the end of an era. »
— Girl 1: “It will usher in our era. »
A few days later, one of the boys sends his accomplices a document detailing the murder minute by minute. The youths planned to launch their attack around noon, setting fire to a bathroom and garbage cans, and then waiting for the students at the exit. “We will shoot people,” the document says.
In their killing spree, the young people wanted to drag a student to the school microphone. “We’re going to shoot him in the balls while he sings.” When the young victim’s relatives heard these sordid details, they began to cry in the courtroom.
For their latest stunt, the accomplices planned to go to the school roof and throw Molotov cocktails at the fleeing students. The document also listed the equipment each accomplice was required to bring, namely a “shotgun,” a “Magnum,” an M-16, Molotov cocktails, and “giant” speakers for playing loud music.
In September 2021, one of the accomplices (the teenager who pleaded guilty earlier this year) confessed everything to a social worker. The police arrested the four accomplices. “All have indicated individually that they did not actually want to make these gestures,” Mr Marmet said.
A report is being prepared for sentencing submissions next December. Me Christine Brosseau and Me Hughes Surprenant defend the two teenagers.