Ryan Schallenberger, 18, was arrested Saturday after his parents called police when 10 pounds of ammonium nitrate was delivered to their home in Chesterfield and they discovered the journal, said the town's police chief, Randall Lear.

Not saying that the kid was justified, but the fact that his folks dimed on him without hesitating or talking to him speaks volumes about what his problems might be.

thamike: Parents that don't understand his unique hobby?

thamike:
Not saying that the kid was justified, but the fact that his folks dimed on him without hesitating or talking to him speaks volumes about what his problems might be.

I'd hope even the most trusting, supportive and loving parents would turn in their kid if they found bomb making materials and laid-out plans to murder a bunch of people. Hell, I'd say that IS the response of any good parent. Clearly the kid needs help and turning him over to the authorities appears to be the best way to get it for him given that he apparently has violent tendencies that may not be best handled in normal therapy sessions.

Ah yes... the intelligence of the American youth.

Give the kid to Social Services and hope he don't come back to kill the parents one day...

Freedom of Speech.

Is this the perfect story for the word 'mulligan'?

/hotsauce

thamike: Not saying that the kid was justified, but the fact that his folks dimed on him without hesitating or talking to him speaks volumes about what his problems might be.

Tough call. They found the plans and the explosives and knew their son was on the verge of committing mass murder.
On one hand you want to protect your child, and see whats going on in his mind.
On the other hand you realize that he may still kill tens or even hundreds of people, and then you have to weigh the lives of those people against your child's.

Before I RTA, I figured that the US postal service was actually smart and blew the whistle on the kid to the local authorities. I then began wondering if this could then turn into a version of "To Catch a Predator", where people are allowed to order bomb-making supplies and instead of their supplies, a host and camera crew showed up.

Then I RTA ... Oh well, guess I was silly (or really tired and wanting to go home from my job so that I can load up on prescription pain killers and sleep the pain away) to think those thoughts. I wonder where he bought that stuff from ... like if it was an ebay thing (wouldn't the sale of such materials violate policy), or an actual company (again, could they legally mail such materials out)?

sorry to ramble ... very tired and in a lot of pain and basically feel like crap.

ANFO: equalizing explosive of the poor and downtrodden. Only thing better is some insecticide-derived nerve agent. The article doesn't say, though, if he had the diesel fuel he needed to really blow the school up; 10 lbs of ammonium nitrate by itself wouldn't level a school.

That being said, this kid needs some major help, and probably some institution time. Chances are the parents called the cops when they saw the fertilizer because they'd already tried talking to him and it hadn't helped. They were probably first on his list BEFORE he went Columbine on his high school.

bonehead800: I'd hope even the most trusting, supportive and loving parents would turn in their kid if they found bomb making materials and laid-out plans to murder a bunch of people.

Actually, the most trusting, supportive, and loving parents would knock the taste out of his mouth and interrogate him for hours first. That, and they'd have a clue that their little snowflake is a vicious, murderous go-tard.

Hey, at least the kid paid attention in chemistry class! I spent 10 minutes convincing someone the other day that the "fertilizer" used in the Oklahoma City bombing wasn't chicken shiat, but was in fact ammonium nitrate.

How much damage could 10 pounds possibly do? I did an incredibly shallow lazy google search and it looks like this is orders of magnitude too small to do any damage. This looks like stump-blowin' up stuff.

Kids these days...

Snitchin' on your own family? That's messed up.

The tipoff for me would be when the detonator delivery guy came to the door and wanted $13.86.

xuanzhiyouxuan: How much damage could 10 pounds possibly do? I did an incredibly shallow lazy google search and it looks like this is orders of magnitude too small to do any damage. This looks like stump-blowin' up stuff.

Somebody doesn't watch futureweapons. Even a small bomb has the capacity to take out a large crowd of people, much like you'd find if you visited any of America's high schools. This kid knew what he was doing. He's nothing but a terrorist.

/Subby

thamike: Not saying that the kid was justified, but the fact that his folks dimed on him without hesitating or talking to him speaks volumes about what his problems might be.

There has to be some point in time where you say, "You know what, i'm not equiped to handle this". I think bombs reach that line.

I consider myself a good parents, but sheesh, if my kid hits that level of crazy, i think i can admit i failed and need help.

"He seemed to hate the world. He hated people different from him - the rich boys with good-looking girlfriends," Lear said.

There's no angst like teen angst.

10lbs of AN? Sounds like this jackass had just enough to _maybe_ remove a tree stump, if he could have confined it. Thank god this kid's an idiot.

As for the "His parents turned him in?" crowd, if my kid had any such plans and I knew about it, he'd be lucky if I involved the cops.

queezyweezel: On the other hand you realize that he may still kill tens or even hundreds of people, and then you have to weigh the lives of those people against your child's.

This. It's not as though they found drugs in his room or learned he'd stolen a few things -- both of which are illegal, but pose no imminent threat to other people. This was a plan to kill other people, a plan he was already in the process of carrying out -- they were right to alert the authorities as soon as they could.

Hey, at least they weren't in denial, thinking their precious son would never do anything like that.

Now what you really need to do is find a way to get some of that SEMTEX stuff from Eastern Europe. That shiat is the real deal.

Should have used UPS.

TeddyRooseveltsMustache: xuanzhiyouxuan: How much damage could 10 pounds possibly do? I did an incredibly shallow lazy google search and it looks like this is orders of magnitude too small to do any damage. This looks like stump-blowin' up stuff.

Somebody doesn't watch futureweapons. Even a small bomb has the capacity to take out a large crowd of people, much like you'd find if you visited any of America's high schools. This kid knew what he was doing. He's nothing but a terrorist.

/Subby

I have no doubt he is a terrorist, as sloppily as that term is usually bandied about. I just figured he wasn't doing the math. And no, I haven't seen futureweapons. Sounds intriguing.

deevo: Snitchin' on your own family? That's messed up.

I think capitalism, communism, fascism, and theocracy all have the goal of breaking society down into single units, be they consumers, workers, or souls. Ubiquitous snitching on your family is one of the most important goals of all of them.

TeddyRooseveltsMustache: Somebody doesn't watch futureweapons. Even a small bomb has the capacity to take out a large crowd of people, much like you'd find if you visited any of America's high schools. This kid knew what he was doing. He's nothing but a terrorist.

/Subby

I smell trolling, but I'll bite anyway. Odds are this kid has been reading old T-FILEZ or, god forbid, THE ANARCHIST'S COOKBOOK.

I'm not trying to suggest his intent was anything less than murderous, but I have a hard time believing he's some terrorist mastermind or that he was even capable of manufacturing a functional weapon.

bonehead800: thamike:
Not saying that the kid was justified, but the fact that his folks dimed on him without hesitating or talking to him speaks volumes about what his problems might be.

I'd hope even the most trusting, supportive and loving parents would turn in their kid if they found bomb making materials and laid-out plans to murder a bunch of people. Hell, I'd say that IS the response of any good parent. Clearly the kid needs help and turning him over to the authorities appears to be the best way to get it for him given that he apparently has violent tendencies that may not be best handled in normal therapy sessions.

QFT.

Being a supportive parent is one thing, but the instant ten pounds of bomb making material shows up on the front porch, and the journal is found and read, calling in the authorities is the right thing to do.

That kid is screwed in the head in more ways than the parents alone can manage.

/although, whatever happened to screw up the kid that much is something the parents might be responsible for

Maximum Leader: TeddyRooseveltsMustache: Somebody doesn't watch futureweapons. Even a small bomb has the capacity to take out a large crowd of people, much like you'd find if you visited any of America's high schools. This kid knew what he was doing. He's nothing but a terrorist.

/Subby

I smell trolling, but I'll bite anyway. Odds are this kid has been reading old T-FILEZ or, god forbid, THE ANARCHIST'S COOKBOOK.

I'm not trying to suggest his intent was anything less than murderous, but I have a hard time believing he's some terrorist mastermind or that he was even capable of manufacturing a functional weapon.

Well if you have that book it would be pretty hard to screw up wouldn't it? There's a fine line between wanting to kill people, and actually acquiring the materials to go through with it. What would you call it, "recreational celebrate the birth of your country by blowing up a small piece of it time"?

xuanzhiyouxuan: How much damage could 10 pounds possibly do? I did an incredibly shallow lazy google search and it looks like this is orders of magnitude too small to do any damage. This looks like stump-blowin' up stuff.

Maximum Leader: 10lbs of AN? Sounds like this jackass had just enough to _maybe_ remove a tree stump, if he could have confined it. Thank god this kid's an idiot.

50 grams (~ 0.11 lbs)

Procuring ammonium nitrate is easy. Getting the blasting caps necessary to detonate it is not so easy.

Security will be tightened at the school when students return Monday. Students will walk through metal detectors borrowed from a courthouse, and bomb and drug sniffing dogs have been called in.



The school board

kntgsp: Seriously, the first clue that your kid has problems is when the 10 lbs of ammonium nitrate arrives at your door?

As much as I'd like to think it's easy for parents to know exactly what their surly, uncommunicative teenager is up to, I think the reality is far different. What warning signs would you suggest looking for: anger and orneriness?

I'm surprised they even opened his mail in the first place. I think you're giving them too little credit for being attentive, and assuming way too much about what other signs they might have missed.

TeddyRooseveltsMustache: Well if you have that book it would be pretty hard to screw up wouldn't it?

Even with military training it's not that hard to really screw up. He probably would've wound up caving his basement in.

stiletto_the_wise:

Really? At least they are keeping the school open, and its not like its going anything permanent? Hell, if anything it's only help keep people calm.

TeddyRooseveltsMustache: Well if you have that book it would be pretty hard to screw up wouldn't it? There's a fine line between wanting to kill people, and actually acquiring the materials to go through with it. What would you call it, "recreational celebrate the birth of your country by blowing up a small piece of it time"?

Reading comprehension isn't one of your strengths, is it?

I suggested he's a potentially dangerous kid, luckily with just a small fraction of the supplies he'd need to be truly dangerous.

Also, those books/documents are the equivalent to National Enquirer in regards to quality, fact checking, and general care of preparation. Any fool who dares to follow the instructions deserves just exactly what he gets.

stiletto_the_wise: Security will be tightened at the school when students return Monday. Students will walk through metal detectors borrowed from a courthouse, and bomb and drug sniffing dogs have been called in.


Mm-hmm.

xuanzhiyouxuan:
How much damage could 10 pounds possibly do? I did an incredibly shallow lazy google search and it looks like this is orders of magnitude too small to do any damage. This looks like stump-blowin' up stuff.

A crowded lunchroom, a lot of shrapnel... I bet this kid did some Googling too. He probably had more ammonium nitrate on the way.

If you are eighteen and really hate high school that much, just go take the GED and get on with your life.

Here ya go: Video of a 5kg (11 lbs) ANFO detonation. Maybe not Oklahoma City, but I wouldn't want to sit on top of it:

Link (new window)

Since today is not only Adolf Hitler's birthday but a full moon besides, I am mildly surprised no one went apesh*t and killed a bunch of people today.

Usually happens like clockwork round this time of year.

thamike: stiletto_the_wise: Security will be tightened at the school when students return Monday. Students will walk through metal detectors borrowed from a courthouse, and bomb and drug sniffing dogs have been called in.


Mm-hmm.

Yeah, I guess we all know evil drugs caused all of this.

thamike: xuanzhiyouxuan: How much damage could 10 pounds possibly do? I did an incredibly shallow lazy google search and it looks like this is orders of magnitude too small to do any damage. This looks like stump-blowin' up stuff.

Maximum Leader: 10lbs of AN? Sounds like this jackass had just enough to _maybe_ remove a tree stump, if he could have confined it. Thank god this kid's an idiot.

50 grams (~ 0.11 lbs)

Wow! Now I know. This is why I love the internet.

"He seemed to hate the world. He hated people different from him - the rich boys with good-looking girlfriends," Lear said.

Or he hated people who hated people that were different from them? A feeling that seems to be reflected by every students involved in something like this. Despite this all school administrations seem determined to ostracize people that don't fit in and encouraging people who do fit in no matter how they act toward others.

By the way I'm not saying that it justifies violence, but I'm sure this won't be understood by the people who think that less then 110% condemnation means agreement.

fail to conceal incoming bomb materials?
that's a flogging

thamike: 50 grams (~ 0.11 lbs)

To add on to my previous reply: Don't forget that it's not the explosion itself that will create the widespread carnage, but all the added nails, marbles, ball-bearings, burning agents, etc. that make the thing really dangerous. And you don't need more than 10 lbs to hurt a lot of people in a high school. Hell, 1 pound in 10 strategic places would cause absolute mayhem.

Turtles All The Way Down: "He seemed to hate the world. He hated people different from him - the rich boys with good-looking girlfriends," Lear said.

There's no angst like teen angst.

Rough sketch of the youth in question:

olddinosaur: Since today is not only Adolf Hitler's birthday but a full moon besides, I am mildly surprised no one went apesh*t and killed a bunch of people today.

Usually happens like clockwork round this time of year.

I always got front row seats for this shiat; yesterday was my birthday.

Maximum Leader: 10lbs of AN? Sounds like this jackass had just enough to _maybe_ remove a tree stump, if he could have confined it. Thank god this kid's an idiot.


shiat you know. tell that to the kids getting blown up wtih IEDs in Iraq. 10lbs of AN, + 0.5 of Diesel + a decent amount of shrapnel could kill dozens and wound even more if placed right.

thamike: Video

I am not an expert, but I'm going to go out on a limb and suggest maybe the "impressive" results of that relatively small quantity of explosives is primarily due to his use of a high explosive (the blasting cap mentioned in the video comments), and that the ANFO is probably only a very weak contributor.

thamike: thamike: 50 grams (~ 0.11 lbs)

To add on to my previous reply: Don't forget that it's not the explosion itself that will create the widespread carnage, but all the added nails, marbles, ball-bearings, burning agents, etc. that make the thing really dangerous. And you don't need more than 10 lbs to hurt a lot of people in a high school. Hell, 1 pound in 10 strategic places would cause absolute mayhem.

Or...a lunch room.