Released boy denies school killings plot: [6 NSW Country Edition]
John Stapleton, Tracy Ong, Additional reporting: AAP. The Australian; Canberra, A.C.T. [Canberra, A.C.T] 24 May 2007: 5.
Abstract
"I don't think he (his friend) really sent any emails, he just generally talked about it here and there," he said. "People took it the wrong way."
The father of the boy defended his son, saying: "He hasn't been charged with anything so he's not guilty of anything."
"They said that they were both ... involved in a sort of like a massacre thing ... they got the information off a website," he told the ABC.
ONE of the students at the centre of an alleged plot to kill classmates last night played down the incident, saying his friend was upset after being dropped by his girlfriend.
The 16-year-old student from Crookwell High School on NSW's southern tablelands was yesterday released from Goulburn Base Hospital, where his friend is being kept in a secure mental unit.
"Two girls (who) reported it to the principal said my friend was scaring them and was gonna basically go around shooting people," the boy said.
He denied sending emails or being part of a Columbine-style death plot.
"I don't think he (his friend) really sent any emails, he just generally talked about it here and there," he said. "People took it the wrong way."
The father of the boy defended his son, saying: "He hasn't been charged with anything so he's not guilty of anything."
He said he first heard of the plot in a phone call last Thursday from police, who told him his son was in a mental institution.
"They said that they were both ... involved in a sort of like a massacre thing ... they got the information off a website," he told the ABC.
The boys have not been charged, but NSW Deputy Police Commissioner Andrew Scipione was forced to yesterday admit that even though one of the 16-year-old Crookwell High School students' fathers was a licensed arms holder, there was no evidence either boy had access to a gun.
Mr Scipione reassured parents that the state's schools were safe, despite two other incidents of threatened violence at schools.
In a separate incident, police charged three male youths over alleged threats on the internet to harm staff and students at an Ambarvale school in Sydney's southwest last week.
The boys, from Appin, Airds and Bradbury, were charged with creating a public mischief and conveying false information.
In the third incident, a 12-year-old boy will face court next month after allegedly threatening a teacher with what police believe was a replica firearm.
Police allege that at about 1pm on Monday the student was cautioned by a teacher.
The youth then allegedly removed the item from his pocket, pointing it at the teacher.
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