PA Teens Planned Columbine-Like School Shooting For 25th Anniversary, Court Docs Show

DUNMORE, PA — A school shooting in Pennsylvania planned on the 25th anniversary of the deadly Columbine High School attack in Colorado has apparently been thwarted. Police said they arrested four teenagers suspected in the planned attack, which targeted Dunmore High School in Pennsylvania.

Two 15-year-olds, Zavier Lewis and Alyssa Kucharski, have been charged as adults due to the serious nature of the threats, WBRE in Wilkes-Barre reported, citing statements from Lackawanna County prosecutors. Two others have been charged as juveniles in the planned school shooting attack at the high school just outside Scranton.

Kucharski's mother told police her daughter was "obsessed with Columbine," WPVI, an ABC affiliate in Pennsylvania, reported. The four teenagers are accused of planning a bombing and/or school shooting at Dunmore on April 20, 2024, which will be the 25th anniversary of the Columbine shooting that left 13 people dead and more than 20 injured in Littleton, Colorado.

The four students discussed Kucharski making Molotov cocktails and homemade explosives in the form of gunpowder and CO2 cartridges, according to WBRE, citing a court affidavit.

A search warrant at Kucharski's home turned up explosive devices, BB pellets, CO2 cartridges, notebooks explaining how to make a bomb and another notebook with a section devoted to Columbine, WBRE reported.

An entry in the notebook read "I think I'm gonna go with Klebold setup," according to the report, a reference to Dylan Klebold, one of the Columbine shooters. Another entry read “4-20-24 April 20, 2024, you’ll all be dead soon anyways.”

Text messages between the students discussing the plans included on stating "shoot up the school," and another calling "dibs" on a specific victim, the WBRE report states. Court papers claim the students' plans were to first used bombs, then shoot guns at the school.

Lewis told police the plan began in September 2020, the police affidavit states.

Prosecutors and school officials have said there's no longer an active threat to the school.

“We are relieved that this plot was uncovered before anyone was hurt and urge anyone who has information about potential threats of school violence to contact police immediately,” Lackawanna County District Attorney Mark Powell said in a statement to media.