Wednesday, February 7, 2001
The University Daily Kansan
Section A • Page 11
1
For comments, contact J. R. Mendoza at 864-4810 or e-mail editor@kansan.com
The Associated Press
HOYT — Residents of a northeast Kansas town said they were thankful three Royal Valley High School students accused of planning what authorities call a Columbine-style plot were caught before they pulled it off.
Those who knew the accused teenagers said they were average students until about a year ago, when they began dressing differently and keeping to themselves.
Charged Monday with conspiracy to commit aggravated arson were Richard Bradley Jr., 18, of Hoyt, Jason Moss, 17, and James Lopez, 16, both of nearby Mayetta. Lopez was also charged with aggravated intimidation of a witness or victim.
Relatives of Lopez and Moss could not be located yesterday.
Jackson County Attorney Doug Fisher said in a statement Tuesday the two juveniles were at the Shawnee County Detention Center in Topeka and Bradley was jailed on $10,000 bond.
Police searched two homes Friday after another student told school officials the three were making bombs. Authorities found bomb-making materials, floor plans of the school, a modified assault rifle, ammunition and white supremacist drawings, police said.
There were quick comparisons to the April, 1999 shooting at Columbine High School in Littleton, Colo., where two students killed 13 people before killing themselves.
Cheif Detective Steven Rupert of the Jackson
County Sherriff's Office called the three suspects loners and said they hung with no particular group.
He said the suspects had discussed the Columbine attack and planned a similar attack on the high school, possibly at a dance. Three trench coats, similar to those worn by the Columbine shooters, also were found.
"We're just real pleased that everything got discovered before anything happened," said the Rev. Tom Fraunfelter, pastor of the First Baptist Church. "I've been telling the kids how brave it is for someone to speak up and say this wasn't right and told somebody."
Laura Del Toro, whose 16-year-old son attends the school, agreed the town was lucky but said. "It shows you aren't safe anywhere. You have to be careful."
Justin Hainline, 19, said he grew up with Bradley and Moss and considered them friends.
Hainline said he and Bradley played on the same baseball team as youngsters.
Back then, we were pretty close, but he drifted apart. He seemed like the average kid then." Hainline said.
He said around December 1999, Bradley and Moss started to change — Bradley started wearing baggy jeans and rock group T-shirts and Moss shaved his head and grew a goatee.
"Ricky wouldn't talk to anybody; he excluded himself to his group." Hainline said. "They used to be well-dressed, well-respected kids until December came around."
Like the rest of the community, Hainline said
he was shocked when he heard of the arrests.
"They both have well-respected families around here," he said. "I guess I didn't think they would do this to their families."
Royal Valley School Superintendent Marceta Reilly declined to discuss the three accused students but said attendance at the high school yesterday was normal.
"The kids are handling this like it's not part of school, that it's outside school," she said. "It shows their resilience. The kids appear to be OK."
Reilly said she talked Monday night with 70 or 80 parents at a meeting called by tribal council leaders of the nearby Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation. She said about 20 percent of the 900 students in the district were Potawatomi.
Prompted by parents' concerns, Reilly said she asked the Kansas Highway Patrol to bring in two bomb-sniffing dogs Monday night to search the high school, middle school and elementary school.
"We did a thorough search of all our schools, and nothing was found." she said.
Reilly said some parents were concerned about what a sheeriff department news release characterized as white supremacy-related paraphernalia.
Materials seized included a bobcat skull that had swastikas drawn on it, but the three teenagers apparently were not targeting minorities.
"It did not seem to be racially motivated at all." said Rupert.
Trooper's shooting deemed suicide attempt
The Associated Press
WICHITA — A Kansas Highway Patrol trooper found injured last month at Pratt County Community College shot himself four times in the face, neck and chest with his.45-caliber patrol pistol, the patrol said yesterday.
That was the finding of the Kansas Bureau of Investigation after their investigators finally were able to talk to 2nd Lt. Tom Quinn, who continues to recuperate at Wesley Medical Center.
work-related," Maple said.
On Jan.15, two students found Quinn, 42, of Ellinwood, sitting in his marked car in a parking lot on the Pratt County Community College campus bleeding from multiple shots.
Lt. Col. Terry Maple, assistant superintendent of the Kansas Highway Patrol, would not give a specific motive for the suicide attempt.
"There were personal issues involved, and at this time we don't believe it was
Quinn's family issued a written statement: "Words are hardly adequate to describe the confusion and pain that each of us has suffered. As such, one can appreciate our family's need for privacy and time in which to heal. Our gratitude goes out to the members of the Highway Patrol for their care and compassion, as well as those individuals and groups who have sent their love, prayers and support. Through even our darkest hours, we feel truly blessed."
Maple said the KBI's conclusion Quinn's injuries were self-inflicted came after an extensive review and analysis of physical evidence, witness statements and interviews with various individuals, including Quinn.
After he was found in January, Quinn was taken to the hospital in critical condition, and investigators with the Kansas Bureau of Investigations were unable to talk to him until recently. Maple declined,
at the family's request, to release details about his present condition other than to say Quinn was improving.
Quinn, a 17-year veteran of the highway patrol, was stationed out of the patrol's Great Bend office and was field supervisor for Barton, Stafford, Pratt and Barber counties in charge of nine other officers.
"Obviously it is extremely difficult — and particularly for those people that work directly for Lt. Quinn," Maple said. "As you can imagine, anytime a police officer is shot those ripples go throughout all our communities, and we need to find answers."
Besides KBI probe, the Highway Patrol has also initiated an internal administrative investigation of the circumstances of the shooting, Maple said. Those findings would be used for determining the causes, possible administrative action and to help prevent future such incidents.
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Juan Williams, host of NPR's Talk of the Nation Friday. Feb 9
The public is invited to the following free events:
3:30 PM:
Lecture on "The Changing Face of American Justice" followed by Q & A Session 203 Green Hall
4:45 PM:
Reception and opportunity to meet Mr. Williams Formal Commons Area, 2nd Floor, Green Hall
Mr. Williams is appearing as part of the University Of Kansas School of Law Judge Nelson Timothy Stephens Lectureship
His visit is co-sponsored by the School of Law and the Office of Multicultural Affairs and is part of the University's African- American History Month celebration.
You're invited to FREE video presentations on
Improving Relationships
every Monday night in February from 7:00 - 9:00 p.m.
Showing David T. Moore's love for lifetime videos. Refreshments provided.
Lawrence, Kansas with Pastor Merle Rothwell Sunday 10:00 a.m.
Church...841-5447
Bible College...331-2774
Academy K-12...749-2427
RADIO CSN
1141 E. 1200 Road Lawrence, KS 66047 calvarychapel@email.com www.calvarychapel.org
One Dozen Roses $49 (if ordered before Feb. 10)
514 E. 9th
843.5954
The University of Kansas
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