According to a recently released police report, four Arizona fifth graders planned to stab a classmate during recess and then stage his death as a suicide.
According to a report obtained by AZ Family, 12News, and WSFA, the girls, ages 10 and 11, were students at Legacy Traditional School in Surprise, Arizona, when they allegedly plotted to kill a classmate during recess on October 1, 2024.
According to the report, they allegedly agreed to “just end him” after breaking up due to cheating allegations.
According to the report, each child had a role to play in the plot: one would bring a knife to school, one would serve as a lookout, and another girl would stab their victim in the stomach in an outdoor bathroom on campus.
A fourth girl would forge a suicide note, and the young suspects intended to wear gloves to avoid leaving fingerprints on their weapon, according to the report.
According to the report, keen-eared classmates overheard the alleged scheme and warned school officials. The girls’ backpacks were searched the next day, and they were questioned individually in front of their parents, according to the report.
Three of the girls expressed regret, according to the report. However, the fourth allegedly “smiled and laughed while making excuses for their actions.”
All four were arrested on charges of threatening and misdemeanor disorderly conduct; they were released to their parents’ custody and suspended from school pending expulsion, according to the report.
School officials did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment.
