Arizona officials have arrested a group of four 5th grade girls in a plot to kill a boy at a Surprise charter school and stage it to look like a suicide.
A recently released police report said the 10- and 11-year-old girls made the plan during lunch and recess on October 1, 2024, KPHO reported. The report said the goal was to “just end him” and that the motive may been a recent break-up.
Other students overheard the plot and reported it to officials at Legacy Traditional School. School officials then worked with the school resource officer to investigate.
A police report said the four girls each had their own roles in the plan, which was to lure the boy into an outside bathroom at the school and stab him in the stomach. One of the girls was tasked with bringing the knife, another was to forge a suicide note, and a third was to serve as lookout while the fourth girl murdered her classmate.
The girls also planned to wear gloves to avoid fingerprints.
The girls backpacks were searched, and they were questioned by police with their parents present. The report said three of the girls appeared remorseful, while fourth smiled and laughed and made excuses for what she was doing.
The girls were charged with threatening and disorderly conduct and were suspended from school pending expulsion. They were released to their parents.
Police and the school declined to comment further on the case. Family members also declined comment.
The Maricopa County Attorney’s Office told KPNX that the case is now closed.
