Student accused of writing 'kill list' remains in custody
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TACOMA, Wash. -- Emotions ran high in court on Monday as an Eatonville Middle School student accused of making a kill list stood before a judge.
According to court papers, the 13-year-old boy told other students, "I'm going to kill you" and "you are on my kill list."
His family claims the boy has never been in trouble with the law, has not been bullied and is not a threat to anyone. Members of the family filled the juvenile courthouse on Monday and attempted to convince a judge that they'll keep an eye on the boy around the clock if he's allowed to come home.
Prosecutors say they teenager's alleged hand-written kill list made fellow students fear for their lives.
"This was an extremely disruptive event in the school environment and people were afraid of the threats the respondent made," the prosecutor said.
Some parents in the small town of Eatonville doubt the boy was actually planning to hurt anyone, but they agree he shouldn't be near school and that it might be best if he remains locked up.
"I don't want to say that he meant it or that he was going to carry it through, but you can't take that chance that he's not, because it does happen," said Jessica Graham, whose brother attends the same middle school.
According to court documents, a fellow student turned the boy in after discovering that he made a kill list every day, as well as a no-kill list. The principal allegedly found one kill list naming five students in a recycle bin at school last Friday.
Despite those lists, Eatonville school superintendent Rich Stewart insists there is no danger at the school.
"The kids are safe. We want parents to know everything's going well at the middle school," Stewart said.
While investigators try to determine why the boy allegedly made the kill lists, the tight Eatonville community is waiting for answers.
"It's absolutely heart-breaking, but this is reality. This happens these days," Graham said.
A judge ruled that the teenager should remain in custody until investigators have more time to evaluate him. They'll take up the question of release on Thursday.
In the meantime, the boy has been expelled from school.
According to court papers, the 13-year-old boy told other students, "I'm going to kill you" and "you are on my kill list."
His family claims the boy has never been in trouble with the law, has not been bullied and is not a threat to anyone. Members of the family filled the juvenile courthouse on Monday and attempted to convince a judge that they'll keep an eye on the boy around the clock if he's allowed to come home.
Prosecutors say they teenager's alleged hand-written kill list made fellow students fear for their lives.
"This was an extremely disruptive event in the school environment and people were afraid of the threats the respondent made," the prosecutor said.
Some parents in the small town of Eatonville doubt the boy was actually planning to hurt anyone, but they agree he shouldn't be near school and that it might be best if he remains locked up.
"I don't want to say that he meant it or that he was going to carry it through, but you can't take that chance that he's not, because it does happen," said Jessica Graham, whose brother attends the same middle school.
According to court documents, a fellow student turned the boy in after discovering that he made a kill list every day, as well as a no-kill list. The principal allegedly found one kill list naming five students in a recycle bin at school last Friday.
Despite those lists, Eatonville school superintendent Rich Stewart insists there is no danger at the school.
"The kids are safe. We want parents to know everything's going well at the middle school," Stewart said.
While investigators try to determine why the boy allegedly made the kill lists, the tight Eatonville community is waiting for answers.
"It's absolutely heart-breaking, but this is reality. This happens these days," Graham said.
A judge ruled that the teenager should remain in custody until investigators have more time to evaluate him. They'll take up the question of release on Thursday.
In the meantime, the boy has been expelled from school.
Here is an article from 2010 about a "list", not even a written one, at Spanaway Lake High School. In the article it states "But the district stressed that there were no behavioral warning signs, or suggestions which would have hinted at what was called an unprovoked attack." (the knife attack didn't actually have anything to do with the list, but the statement is still unsettling...especially since this Eatonville boy made a written list, verbal threats, and has access to guns....)...this is why these threats are taken so seriously....l
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http://www.king5.com/news/Officials-investigating-alleged-kill-list-at-Spanaway-high-school-93769534.html
"The boy had access to guns at his home that the family used for hunting, according to charging papers." Â From the Tacoma paper. Â Red flags all over the place. Â it also appears he isn't real cooperative either. Â I honestly hope this child gets the help he needs and that his family will help him along with that. Â I cannot help but think that SOMETHING compelled law enforcement and the judge to maybe go overboard on erring on the side of caution. Â Maybe it's saved some lives, but at the least, it has drawn attention to this disturbed child BEFORE he hurt someone or himself. Â Funny thing, here in WA, if he hadn't gotten the attention of law enforcement, he's of an age where he can refuse counseling or treatment, even for a mental illness issue. Â Usually, it takes until they do something horrible to themself or someone else to get help. Â This might have saved this child and his family some real heartache down the line. Â I have a mentally ill child. Â Treatment and counseling was refused. Â Turned to self medication instead and ran away at age 15 and has been gone for five years now. Â Addicted to meth. Â Abandoned children, three of them, in the wake. Â From of loving, caring home who fought tooth and nail to help the child understand the need to cooperate. Â It's all about choices. Â I hope they can get this young man to understand that, now, before something bad happens.
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I hope he and his family get the counseling they need.
When I was very young and writing letters and such to my friends (yes, waaaay before FB, Twitter, and smart phones - heck, even before personal computers if you can imagine such a time) Â my Mother told me to be careful what I put into writing, it can be used against you in a court of law. Â Now, I have no idea if they would have taken a kill list written by a 13 year old seriously back in those days because as far as I know, no one ever wrote one. Â I was bullied in middle school (they called it teased in those days) and there were quite a few students that I hated, but never thought of killing. Â We sure live in harder times now and our children are right in the thick of it - adults who think nothing of blowing your pets away because they bark, kicking your doors in with you at home and robbing and raping and murdering - in short, there's not a whole lot of respect for others (both ways) going on anymore. Â With all the school shootings, etc going on - we have to take such a list seriously these days. Â I sure hope this young man gets true help and not just jailed and let go. Â He needs some guidance on these matters and I sincerely hope he gets going the better road and not just penalized with jail time (or juvenile detention I believe they call it for the younger folks). Â I think the school made the right choice, we wouldn't want to hear that the school ignored this and another school shooting took place but I hope it doesn't end there.
Not a threat to anyone? Maybe his family needs to rethink their opinion of their son, people don't make death threats lightly in todays society, not after all the terrible things that have happened over the last several years. You don't play around with stuff like that, I would NOT want my son going to school with someone like that, I'm glad they are keeping him locked up and tossed him out of the school. Maybe now he will think twice about making threats like that. Maybe they can keep him out of all schools, homeschooling comes to mind. Anyone care to run the risk of having his threats become a reality in another school by letting him attend?
@Jumblemuffin Nobody would dissagree that he needs mental health attention. But are you seriously promoting the idea of proactively jailing people who maybe-might possibly-someday hurt someone. This is clearly in the domain of mental health, not corrections.  If he had acted on his impulse, the yes,, he should be jailed. But for thinking it? As a mentally handicapped child? Really?  I would rather see my society and tax money work towards re-habiltating mental issues before they start, instead of summarily jailing children before they do any harm at all. This creates criminal behavior.Â
 @concernedcitizen  @Jumblemuffin It says above that according to court papers, he verbally communicated a threat.  It also says that his own family says he was not bullied.  I know the laws are a but different for juveniles but  here is the RCW for adults:  http://apps.leg.wa.gov/rcw/default.aspx?cite=9A.36.080
It's a tough situation/call.
@Doxie @concernedcitizen @Jumblemuffin A class C felony...Â
I agree, it is a tough situation to call... Better to be on the cautious side. Although there is nothing saying what the kid said, as to why he made the lists or threatened someone.. Maybe he is being bullied... That, would make more sense of things.
We should be finding out the reason why someone takes a specific action, especially our youth, and educating them on how else they can deal with their feelings. Preferably in a constructive manner..
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When I was a kid, I used to go hack everyone that I didn't like in two... or four pieces... then I would stack them in a pile so they would dry out and be ready to burn in a few months...  (yes, I would go home and split wood...LOL)
I felt better after...
Doing stuff that got the parents called, would have had severe reprecussions on the home front...Â
In this case, I would venture, he is just entering into puberty.. and that has its own problems...and embarrassments..
the real problem with all situations like this is that no investigating into the motivation behind what pushed him to this point will ever be done. We continue to see more and more problems like this in our society, lucky this one was caught before it went any further. Do i think he should be in jail No, do i think he needs psychiatric help absolutely. But even more so we need to investigate things like this thoroughly and find out what pushes these people to this point so that we can fix the root of the problem. I do not in any way condone the actions that these people ultimately take, but by not taking action against the root of the problem we are just sticking our heads in the sand. Â Â
@citizen 1689 the school newsletter today had a note from the superintendant, Rich Stewart, that said the school has requested a phyciatric and threat assessment. Hopefully they do a thorough one! My son goes to that school and I don't want this kid back at school any time soon.. If he wasn't being bullied (both he and his parents supposedly say he wasn't) but he made those kinds of lists and verbal threats, then there is certainly "something" not right about his thinking! And his parents saying he's not a threat to anyone? Are they sure? Â
 @citizen 1689 Agree if this kid was bullied and the school done nothing and it got to this point the school to blame just as much as this child if not more so.
 @Seattle  @citizen 1689 His own family says above that he was not bullied.
I just read all the comments and I want to first say if you never been to Eatonville school district with a special needs child then you really have no clue about that town and their schools. I moved to that school district when  my middle son who is ADHD/ODD was in 4th grade. First we moved from northern IL where I was told my son had a very mild form of ADHD. To Eatonville school district where they had no special needs classes and whose school psychologist told me that my special needs son had no mental problems, in spite of all his school records we had from IL. It wasn't until 2006 after WA state took the school district to court and forced them to have special needs class that they began to have them. Prior to that my special needs son got kicked out of school so much that in 5th grade alone he missed over 100 days. That basically was all because they were trying to put a square peg in a circle hole. By that point it caught someone attention and P.A.V. E. started working with my family in an effort to get my son proper education. We had meeting that amount to not much of anything because those from the school district kept claiming they could find no papers that state what they did or did not do for special needs kids. In the meantime my son kept going to jail. First time was because he stole his older brother's pocket knife and had it is his jacket. He never got it out. He did mention to another kid he had it and that was all it took. They searched him, yes without a parent present and he went off to jail. Now when the truth came out that another boy had been bullying and he told teachers and nothing was done, he decided he need to protect himself. The other boy and that boy's friends said they never bullied my son so the other child got in no trouble. Anyway after he went to jail for about 3 different times, then Team Child attorney got involved with and fought for him to get school in the legal way that is required for special needs kids. Still there was many up hill battles with the school district until finally he was transferred to a school in downtown Tacoma. One there he no longer got in trouble. Eatonville school district is terrible with educating and  treating  special  needs kids properly.  Second the school psychologist is the stupidest person I ever met in my life. Third I tried to get my son in counseling outside of school an was told he had too many problem for a counselor to deal with and psychologist never seemed to have an opening for a new patient unless it was school suggested or court suggest. The school would not suggest because they would have to pay for it if they did and they always claim the school have no money. The courts did and he would be on meds at those times. That was until he turned 13. Inn this state 13 is the age of consent for medical and mental health. He knew this so at 13 he refused to be on meds anymore because he did not like the side effects and there was nothing I or anyone else could do about it. By 16 he he moved back to northern IL and wow, just like that he never got in trouble in school again, because northern IL knows how to educated mental special needs kids. He was even doing so well in school in IL that he also got a job. Eatonville school district has major issues with schooling mental special needs kids, What does surprised me is ha this child is looking at possibility going to jail for 4 years, because all my son ever got from  going to jail  was six months probation each time. So to those who saying having a loving family is not enough, that is true when you are dealing with a very screwed up school district. let alone a screw up state that say at 13 a child can  decide what if any help they will receive.
@Marta don't you think that Eatonville is a small school district and that at least they are trying to assist special needs students to the best of the schools capability. As far as the school psychiatrist, I was unaware the school had one, but to call them stupid, come on? What did you expect from a small town. My children attend both EMS and EES and we are aware there are special needs students and I believe the school district does the "best the can do" with assisting special needs programs for its students. We are lucky to have programs at our schools for such a small district.
@EatonvilleSnail Thank you! My kids have gone to EES since 2005...one is still at EES, the other at EMS. I am also a para-sub and have worked at EES, EMS, and EHS in the SPED classes. The teachers are very loving, kind, trained, patient, etc. I've worked with most of the teachers at EES and the principal and they do not reflect what "Marta" is describing! Excellent school district, teachers, administrators, counselors, etc. I love living in this town!
@Marta Thank you Marta! Best luck to you and yours!
 @Marta Thanks for your insight and best of luck to you and your family.Â
This is all so crazy. I can not believe this boy is in jail for making a list. Should he be kept out of school for now? Yes. Should someone look into what led toy these thoughts? Yes. Should help be extended? Yes. Should this boy be in prison? NO!!! I can't even believe this is happening!!! And I'm also upset about people assuming the boy is not being raised properly or is not in a loving family. You have no idea, people. This hits close to home for me because my oldest daughter had some bad teenage years, in spite of the fact that we have always loved her and done all we could for her. She even tells us now how much she appreciates that we were always there for her. In spite of that, she had issues and one day I found papers in her room that shocked me. A list of club members, a list of people who would be invited to join, a kill list, and a set of rules detailing what would be done to people who wouldn't join. I recognized none of the names but assumed they went to high school with my daughter, so I took the list to the principal. Kids were called into the office, rules were laid down, security officers were informed, but no one was arrested. As for my daughter, she ran away from home and was gone for a couple weeks. Now she's 30, has 3 kids of her own and is working on her Masters in Psychology. Sometimes kids need to be dealt with and called on the carpet but jail is not the answer for this boy!!!
@justathought Your daughter is 30? So this all happened 15 years ago? A lot has changed since then....a lot of mass shootings at schools since then. Given all of the violent outcomes in the past 15 years I am glad they are taking no chances and take such threats seriously. I don't feel that putting him in Juvi is going too far. Keep him there until he can be evaluated. Obviously it's a safer place than home, since he has access to guns at home. His FB page had a bunch of pictures with him posing with his guns. I for one feel that my son is much safer at school knowing that this boy is not at school any longer and until they can determine his mental state, why he made the lists, and if he is or is not a threat he needs to be kept under secure, close supervision. His family doesn't feel he's a threat, so how closely will they monitor him?  I hope the boy, if he has a mental issue, gets help. If he was bullied (which he and his family have said he was not) I hope he gets help to know how to deal with his anger/frustration in other ways....and if bullied, his bullies are strongly diciplined. If he was just "messing around", then hopefully this is a lesson learned!  Kids these days need to know it's not ok to even joke around with verbal or written threats.Â
@justathought -- OK, let's calm the emotions and breath. He is NOT in prison. He is in juvenile detention. There is a huge difference between the two, my friend. I would challenge you to volunteer some of your time at your locale juvenile detention center and then at one of the state prisons (not your local jail) so you can familiar yourself with the difference. While earning my paralegal degree, I volunteered at the Peirce County Juvenile Detention Center, and I must say I was surprised at how nice a place it was.
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This young man did not just make a "list" as you call it, he made a kill/don't kill list. He didn't just write down what he needed to do each day, he threatened the lives of other students. That is more than just making a "list." That is a crime. No one can be sure he would not have followed through with his threats, and as unfortunate as it is, he is in the best place until it can be determined he is not a threat to anyone. I'd hate for our laxed system to just let him out and then have him follow through on his threat. You'd be screaming bloody murder if they'd just let him out and the next day he followed through on his threats. We don't need another Columbine, do we?
@Bianca There is no differnence to them. It's jail for kids. Have you been in one? I have worked in one as a contractor. It's jail. His childhood will be gone. He wont learn to be a productive memeber of society by the examples of success around him. He will ever be digging his way out of a hole, for the rest of his life, because he COULDNT properly deal with his feelings. This is a common with autism. The solution is to educated him about how to deal with his feelings in a positive, productive way. Locking him up, and preventing him from attaining the understanding he needs by removing him from a positive, nurturing environment,and placing him in a disfunctional, oppressive one is not going to make it better fro him. It's an illusion that we can prevent inccidents like columbine or others by violating everybodies rights to find a potential problem. The better solution is to deal with the problem when it's first known before it becomes physically manefested in violence.  And the debate is not that he is innoent of doing something wrong, but whether jor not ustice is being served, and our rights protected.This case shows evidence of 1,4, & 5 amendment rights being violated. Miranda rights as well. (similar to 5th) This case shows that the state has seized control of a parents natural rights...without their involvement. Of course nobody wants kids to threaten others in any way...but at what cost? This affects all citizens and parents, and there is a better way to react to this.
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 @justathought I'm glad to hear you had a good outcome with your daughter.
What a shame this is. Â And all the squabbling below isn't going to change a thing. Â He's "autistic." Â He's "bullied." Â Okay, fine, but that doesn't give you a free ticket to say you are going to kill people. Â I'd guess that when some of these guys who have been in the news lately were youngsters, they may have been called "good" kids, "goofy." Â Obviously the kid had to have some kind of idea of what he was saying and the implications that may arise. Â He needs to have consequences and if his parents are as caring as some say they are, they will allow him to feel the flow of NATURAL consequences for unacceptable behavior. Â No good is done by letting him skate. Â And before everyone jumps all over me, my son was "goofy" "sweet" "smart" all those cute things, but he was also maybe Asberger's, bipolar and adhd and he had to learn the rules of society and adhere to them just like you and I. Â He found out the hard way what happens if you don't. Â Juvenile consequences now are far better for him than adult consequences later on.
@Nanamamabjm Where did the article or video say he's autistic?
 @Mary Nasvik It didn't.  Concernedcitizen, purporting to be a family member, has made that claim.
@Nanamamabjm He may well be made a criminal if he is put in jail for over 4 years like they are planning. Instead, why not get him the proper treatment for his issue. Jail is for people who are guilty of commiting crimes where others are injured.
 @concernedcitizen  I understand he is a relative of yours, and therefore your reasoning on this is not where it should be. This is a totally different situation that what happened, but I am expressing it to you because of your statement that "jail is for people who are guilty of committing crimes where others are injured". I was stalked for over a year by an ex-husband. Although he never touched me when he was stalking, he went to jail. So are you saying he shouldn't have gone to jail, because I wasn't injured by his stalking?
 @Jalharad  He also verbalized the threat. According to the article, he told students he was going to kill them and they were on the list. That is a threat, which is also a crime. How is that different?
 @traceywo  @concernedcitizen Stalking is a crime. Writing a list of people is an expression. This kid needs psychological help, not juvenile detention or jail.
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I could understand a mental hospital for juveniles until such time that he is deemed safe, but that would be an extreme reaction.
@Nanamamabjm Also, was a warrant served to search his bags? Miranda rights given to avoid incriminating himself? To a 13 year old? That isnt legal. He has rights. His parents have rights. Do you want to live under a social contract that endorses the state having authority over your children without your consent?Â
@concernedcitizen -- It is not illegal to search a studentâs bag; person or locker, if the school has reasonable suspicion there is a threat. In this case, I'd say they did. According to the article, they found a "kill list" in a recycle bin, thus they acted accordingly, if they indeed searched his bag, locker and person. There is a ton of case law in this state and country citing school administrators do not have to wait for a search warrant to search students, bags, and/or lockers. No Fourth Amendment rights were violated.
 @concernedcitizen  @Nanamamabjm You don't need a search warrant to search his backpack, all they needed was probable cause and that was evident when he threatened the kid in the hallway and when the principal found one of his "hit lists!" They had probable cause!
@Nanamamabjm What crime did he commit if he never said...I'm going to ..etc. It was his private, protected thoughts. His natural right to free expression. If he, himself, threatened no one, and thereby never violating anothers natural rights, then what crime is he guilty of? Thinking of it? Is that where we are as a society? Arresting 13 year old autistic kids for thinking about violence?
 @concernedcitizen  @Nanamamabjm The fact that this child made a DAILY "kill-list" shows that he needs psychological help, whether or not he was going to act on his threats! There have been far too many incidents where children have shot and killed other children or seriously wounded them! Should we just sweep it all under the carpet and say "oh, he's just being a boy!" No, we shouldn't. The judge was right in remanding him to custody and I for one, hope he has order a psychological evaluation!!
 @karen gilbreath  @concernedcitizen  @Nanamamabjm How is Juvenile detention going to help his psychological situation? Require one/twice weekly psychologist appointments and send him home.
@concernedcitizen The article clearly said he TOLD the students they were on his Kill List.
Concernedcitizen, obviously this is a very difficult situation for you, but nothing and nobody is being served by turning this into a great big government conspiracy. Â This boy made a threat. Â Doesn't matter how he did it, he made a threat in a way that made others feel they were in danger, they felt threatened, and it was his words/behavior that made them feel that way. Â It is better to err on the side of caution rather than end up burying school children, again, and then have everybody screaming the opposite of what you are screaming: Â Why didn't somebody say something, do something, about what this troubled child is saying and doing. Â Instead of all of you friends and family looking at blaming the school, the authorities, the government, blah, blah, etc., ad nauseum, why doesn't somebody ASK that boy why he made a kill list? Â Are any of you annoyed with him at all for causing all this uproar? Â Of course not. Â He needs to accept responsibility for what he did. Â Your efforts would be better spent being supportive of him and his parents by asking those questions instead of pointing the finger and getting all wild eyed crazy about government conspiracies.
 @Jalharad On the other hand. . . had this kid ended up acting out his threats in his anxiety relieving journal, everyone would be all up in the air about THAT.  This child needs help.  Obviously.
 @Nanamamabjm Siding with safety for safety's sake is EXACTLY what has gotten us the nanny state we have today. It will only get worse. Next you wont be able to walk down the street because a piano might fall from a window and kill you.This kid did NOTHING wrong. Writing in a journal is a proven way to relieve anxiety.
 @concernedcitizen I certainly hope this child's parents have a greater level of maturity than is expressed with this last statement of yours and that you are not a reflection of the parenting this child has received thus far.  He's going to need it.
You are talking to one of his family, and it sounds like I won the debate.
 @concernedcitizen  @Nanamamabjm How about you just go get you a margarita?  :)
@Nanamamabjm Our country was founded on the idea
@Nanamamabjm Were you born here? Why is talk about having inborn rights, that cant be taken away a conspiracy theory?
 @concernedcitizen  @Nanamamabjm Aww so if you privately kill someone without letting anyone know, then no crime was committed? This kid is a threat to the community and needs to be locked away.Â
@concernedcitizen A student reported that he often told fellow students that he would kill them or that they were on his kill list (as per this and other articles). Also, my guess is that they are keeping him detained because he has access to guns at home, and until they can determine his mental state and whether he may or may not be a threat to others then that is probably the best place for him. You may know him...you may not feel that he is capable of harming anyone. There are many times when people commit henious crimes and the people that knew them were shocked....they could have never imagined them doing something like that. I hope that if this boy has mental issues he gets help. I hope that if he has been bullied, he gets the help he needs to learn how to deal with his anger & frustration in non-violent ways. If he was just messing around, then this is a tough way to learn a lesson. But given all of the past situations where kids have been mass murdered at school I feel much safer knowing that this boy is in a secure location until he can be evaluated and it is determined what, if any, help he needs. I feel very sad for this boy and his family. I hope they can get the help he/they need and move past this. But for those of us who have children that attend the local schools, we feel much safer knowing that officials are digging deeply into this and are taking all necessary precautions to keep all of our children safe. He made the choice to write these lists....there are consequences to every choice we make. I'm just glad this boy had to pay the consequence of his own choice/actions and the rest of the kids didn't have to pay the price of this boy possibly acting on his "list". Â
 @concernedcitizen  People who the courts think could possible be a danger to others are also locked up until they have been evaluated mentally, or until their court date.Â
 @concernedcitizen Also you say he is a mentally handicapped child. Is this documented somewhere? Is he in special ed classes?
 @concernedcitizen If he had kept the kill list in his journal instead of throwing it in the recycle bin, then I could see how his rights had been violated. However the paper was found, which gave the police probable cause to search him and his backpack to ensure he did not have anything to further the agenda on the kill list. His fourth amendment rights were not vioated, as you say, because of the discovery of evidence in the recycle bin. Also, how were his rights to private free expression invalidated? If another student saw the list, then this boy did not protect his right to free speech by letting others see the list. Also, the reason he is currently locked up is for the safety of others, while the courts find out if he is a danger to society or not.Â
@traceywo @Jalharad Even if he had actually threatened someone....this becomes the domain of proffessional mental health. We give potentially dangerous people treament., We lock up people who have already commited injury to others, after due proccess.
They were found in a recycling bin, AFTER his right to private free expression was invalidated. He and his property were then searched without warrant, contrary to the fourth amendment to corralate his handwriting. Don't you see the bigger picture? These convienent lapses in procedure are not only just going to violate a child's natural born rights, but someday your own as well.
@traceywo well i know him personally, komo does not. He did not say anything threatening to others students. What komo stated was what came out in his testimony to officers and the court. The court and police led him in his testimony, and he incriminated himself. No miranda rights, no fifth amedment right, no fourth amendment right and no first amendment rights.. If this were an adult case it would thrown out. The greater point I am making is that he hurt no one.He did not injure anyone's body, or property. He did not cause monetary damage, He is guilty of only thinking something bad. There is a long precidence of preserving speech in this country, no matter how unpopular it is.
It's different than screaming fire in a crowded room, where someone could be trampled in panic and hurt. He hurt nobody.
 Remember, sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me? Well today, it's sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will land me hard time as a mentally handicapped child.
 @Jalharad They were found in a recycle bin, according to the article. That is no longer private property, and threats are still threats. It's still illegal.
 @traceywo It was not verbalized until AFTER the lists were found.
According to the article above, he said to other students he was going to kill them and they are on his kill list. How is that not verbalizing it? I am not trying to argue, I am merely pointing out what the article states compared to what you are saying. Also, the article states that he has not been bullied, yet you are saying he was?
 @concernedcitizen Good luck to your nephew and his family. Our culture of fear is alive and well I see.
He didnt verbalize it at all, until after the list was made public, and he was questioned. He is being put in jail for thinking wrong. How many others should we jail for thinking wrong?
 @concernedcitizen  If you'd like, I'll proof read everything that you've written, correct grammar and spelling too if you wish.  Turn it into something that a reasonably educated person could actually make sense of.  Obviously, you lack the ability to have an adult conversation without getting snarky.  It is against the law to make a threat to kill someone.  No matter how old you are.  By the way.  Again, err on the side of caution, ALWAYS when the safety of children is involved.
@BravesPackersCougzSounders @Nanamamabjm since you responded to me I will assume you cant read. I said...he violated nobody's natural rights! He didn't injure anyone. Treatment is for those who needs help, who may be dangerous if left alone. Jail is for those who have actually injured people.