Anchorage: Three primary school pupils 'plotted to kill a classmate with poison'
Police said they had decided not to take any action against the children
Officials at a primary school in Alaska have reportedly uncovered a plot hatched by three pupils to kill one of their classmates by poisoning their lunch.
Reports said the three youngsters at the Winterberry Charter School in Anchorage had been disciplined after another pupil overheard their plot and informed a teacher. It transpired the trio believed they could kill their classmate using silica gel - a substance that is not toxic.
The incident was first uncovered last week, according to officials from the Anchorage School District (ASD) officials.
“Given such a young age, it’s not clear if they knew what they were doing, if it was just a threat or something more serious,” said Heidi Embley told the Alaska Dispatch News.
“Without revealing any information as to what occurred during the investigation, there are a lot of conversations to get an understanding of what actually happened, how the students were feeling.”
The youngsters apparently obtained some plastic packets of silica gel from the inside of a sealed food bag. They brought them to school with the intention of putting them inside their classmate’s food.
“The students had thought the packets contained poison,” said Anchorage Police Department spokeswoman Jennifer Castro. “The plot was not actually carried out.”
Reports said the police became involved when the plot was reported to the elementary school’s resource officer. Officials said the officer spoke with all three students and declined to file charges.
Ms Embley said that a letter to parents was sent out the same day the plot was discovered. She said safety was the school’s “top priority” and added that the school district took all threats to student safety very seriously.
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