Surprise, AZ — A group of fifth-grade girls at an Arizona school allegedly conspired to lure a classmate into a bathroom and stab him to death, police say.
The disturbing plot, which authorities say was devised during lunch and recess at Legacy Traditional School’s West Surprise campus last October, has only recently come to light following the release of a police report.
According to the Surprise Police Department, the girls, aged 10 to 11, had carefully assigned roles in the attempted murder plot. One was to bring the weapon — a knife — another was to forge a suicide note to make the death look self-inflicted, a third was to stand guard, and one was tasked with delivering the fatal blows.
The motive? A soured schoolyard romance, police say. According to the report, the intended victim, a boy in the same grade, had been “dating” one of the girls before allegedly “cheating” on her. Following the breakup, the girls allegedly plotted revenge, saying they wanted to “just end him.”
Authorities were alerted to the plan after other students overheard the girls discussing it and told their parents. Police say the girls intended to lure the boy to a bathroom outside the cafeteria and attack him, even planning for the knife-wielder to wear gloves to avoid leaving fingerprints.
The plan quickly unraveled when the girls’ backpacks were searched and they were questioned with their parents present. All four girls were arrested within a week and charged with misdemeanor counts of threatening and disorderly conduct.
Three of the girls reportedly expressed remorse, while one appeared amused by the situation, laughing during questioning, police say.
Due to their young ages, the identities of the girls have not been released. The police department has not provided further details on the case and does not plan to, according to a spokesperson.
The school has not commented on the incident publicly.
