Four fifth-grade students at Legacy Traditional School in Surprise, Arizona, were arrested last fall, for allegedly planning to murder a fellow classmate.
The disturbing details, which were revealed in a newly released police report, show just how far the plan went—including forging a suicide noteto cover up the crime.
On October 1, 2024, a parent alerted school officials after their child overheard some students discussing a plan to fatally stab another student.
According to the report, the group allegedly intended to lure the boy into a bathroom, attack him, and disguise the killing as a suicide.
One of the accused, a 10-year-old girl, was reportedly upset because the victim—a boy she considered her "boyfriend"—had cheated on her.
The report states she "hated him and wanted him dead."
The students allegedly discussed the following while planning:
- Wearing gloves to avoid leaving fingerprints
-Stabbing the victim in the stomach
- Writing a fake suicide note
One of the students agreed to go along with the conversation because they didn’t want to seem "weird."
However, she never thought the group would actually go through with it.
Another students said she initially believed it was a joke—until she was assigned the role of "guard" during the planning. That’s when she realized they were serious.
The school acted quickly, suspending all four students (two 10-year-olds and two 11-year-olds) and launching an investigation.
Police later arrested the group on charges of threatening and disorderly conduct.
"Due to federal student privacy laws, we cannot discuss individual student disciplinary matters," Legacy Traditional School said in a statement.
"Any student who makes or shares a threat may face disciplinary action, up to and including expulsion."
While three of the students and their families expressed remorse and apologized for their actions, the fourth student reportedly "smiled and laughed" during questioning, making excuses for her actions.
The victim’s mother told police she wanted to help in prosecution against the students involved, as per NBC News.
The case has raised serious concerns about youth violence and how young students could conceive such a brutal plan.
Legal experts suggest that due to their ages, the students will likely face juvenile court proceedings rather than adult charges.
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