Two Long Island teenagers were busted last week for planning to bomb their school and shoot students and faculty. Christopher Franko, 17, and Dana Saltzman, 16, were arrested after Franko's social worker alerted cops that he may have been plotting an attack on Connetquot High School, which Franko had also planned but failed to attack on April 20, 2007—the eighth anniversary of the Columbine shootings. They were apparently waiting for Franko to turn 18 so they could buy guns, and then open fire near the language arts classrooms, because "the largest concentration of students are in [that] area," Dep. Insp. Michael Shanahan told Newsday (subscription required).
Police say the teens' web search history and text messages reveal that they were attempting a bomb plot, with Franko writing in one message, "May we kill as many as possible and teach these bastards a lesson." Franko was allegedly teased by classmates because he lived in a trailer, and police say he has remained angry at his former classmates after being sentenced to juvenile detention for his first plot. Both teens pleaded not guilty at their arraignments, where they were charged as adults. Saltzman was released but Franko is being held until his court appearance on June 8th—his 18th birthday.
Neighbors were shocked at the charges, with one of Franko's neighbors saying, "I introduced him to Jesus. He'd come over and ask me to pray for him." However, others say they weren't surprised that Franko would plan a school attack again. "He was a nice kid. Just, like he had problems. He didn't talk about them and I guess held it inside long enough," student Patrick Jones told WCBS.
