Okla. student allegedly planned shooting same day as Sandy Hook

Sammie Eaglebear Chavez, 18, allegedly attempted to recruit classmates to help him corral students in the auditorium of Bartlesville High School in Bartlesville, Okla., where he planned to shoot them. He allegedly said he also planned to chain the doors with bombs that would explode if police attempted to enter. / KWTV

BARTLESVILLE, Okla. An Oklahoma high school student is in custody on charges he plotted to bomb and shoot students at the Bartlesville High School auditorium on the same day 26 people were shot and killed at an elementary school in Connecticut.

Police arrested 18-year-old Sammie Eaglebear Chavez at about 4:30 a.m. Friday after learning of the alleged plot Thursday. Chavez was found at a residence in Bartlesville early Friday morning, and had not attended school on Thursday, CBS affiliate KWTV in Oklahoma City reported.

"We are extremely pleased that our students were never in harm's way," Superintendent Gary W. Quinn said to KWTV. "I am proud of our administrative personnel who took what started out as an unsubstantiated rumor, and through their diligent work and exhaustive investigation were able to determine there could be a future threat. We appreciate the excellent relationship we have with our local law enforcement and their swift response to the information we provided them. We will always put the safety of the students of the Bartlesville Public School District first and foremost."

An arrest affidavit obtained by KWTV says Chavez tried to convince other students on Wednesday while in the school cafeteria to help him lure students into the auditorium, chain the doors shut and start shooting. The Tulsa World reports that authorities say Chavez threatened to kill students who didn't help.

Chavez planned to detonate bombs at the doors as police arrived, the affidavit said. He also tried to get a map of the school and told a teacher he had recently bought a Colt .45 handgun and had been practicing shooting it over the weekend. In addition, another student said he saw Chavez looking up how to build pipe bombs.

The school district says students were never in danger. A parent told KWTV that they received an email from the school district on Friday about an "incident" on Thursday, but no additional information was given.

Chavez is being held on $1 million bond and has been charged with a felony threatening to kill. If he makes bond, he will not be able to have contact with any Bartlesville schools or possess firearms.

[foo8259]

Kids these days! When I was in military school there were teachers and coaches with big paddles (yes the ones with the holes drilled thru em) walking the halls and they kept us in line! In Israel there is also much more discipline -- they also lack our issues with teen violence seen here in the USA.

[johnlockesghost]

Prospective murderers who plan and execute horrendous acts of violence need to be aware of the consequences among which is that they disappear without further word. Keeping criminals who have committed these kinds of acts alive and perpetually in the news, sets a very bad example. Once caught, if not killed tight away (which I think should be done on sight), they should disappear never to be heard of again.

[JV1970]

This is the result of parents not stepping up and acting like parents teaching and disciplining their children and not taking time for their children! Today parents just turn their kids loose and let them do as they please.

It's getting rare nowadays to find parents that actually teach their kids right from wrong and teach them the Golden Rule, "Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself".

And another thing, today I saw a comment in another board that said that the violent video games that the kids play today are having an effect on our youth. I HIGHLY AGREE! They constantly have violence and trash going in their heads and we shouldn't be surprised when violence and trash comes out of them!

The violent video games are another thing that parents are failing their children about. I realize that most of them can just be downloaded into their cell phones and computers etc. but parents need to make it very clear what they'll allow in their homes and what they won't. Then if the kids insist on playing the violent games their parents should take away their cell phones, laptops, and everything else they can play them on. And then if just taking them away doesn't work, and the kids still won't follow the rules, then the phones, laptops, etc. should be sold or destroyed.

[inmaryland1]

Agreed. At the very least have a running conversation about what these games MEAN. Ask questions about what it would be like if these things happened in real life...to your friends, to your family. Ask why there is a fascination with them everywhere...why so much death? Ask why they are so engaging and don't give up. Just don't leave your kid alone with them hours on end, and don't give into your kid when they what to buy the latest death game or system. I have teens and it is so hard to say no, but I do and I look like the bad guy. I just don't want to BECOME the bad guy. Some, not all of those games just feel WRONG and I tell them that if I don't like watching/hearing it I shouldn't have to, period.

[nicmart]

The comments leave little doubt that the veneer of civilization is very thin, and that many people, if not most, don't rise about the level of barbarians.

[TashaK3]

Repeal the Second Amendment

Do it.

Do it now.

[johnlockesghost]

Not a chance! Its repeal wouldn't stop anyone that really wanted to commit murder.

Better to repeal the 17th amendment.

[greengeekgirl]

WHY are we posting this kid's photo? THIS IS WHAT THEY WANT. This is why they do it. We're rewarding them by giving them exactly what they seek.

[johnlockesghost]

I agree, he should be quietly whisked away, tried without fanfare and put in prison. Maybe give him a two-liner on the back page.

[fantod-2009]

Glad this mentally unstable kid was stopped. And yes, lock him up for a long time. However, don't waste the opportunity to take people like this and learn from them. Investigate, interview, use therapy, get to the bottom of what makes these psychos tick. We need to learn why these things are happening or they will continue to happen.

[sickofwhiners]

Maybe after the mental evaluations they can dissect him.....just saying

[Nursetimmons]

I know most of the talk is about new gun laws and although I agree it should be extremely hard for individuals to get high powered automatic weapons but what I seem to see in these horrible situations is the cause of these attacks relates to mental illness, personality disorders, inability to deal with stressors, it shows a total lack of feelings for life but the truth is why are these people not being evaluated and treatment and or commitment. These families friends have to stop hiding behind what they know is someone with problems and the law should make it easier for families to commit these people where if the pose a treat to themselves or others they are not released Why is mental help one of the areas where severe cuts have been made in states, why is it if individuals not have insurance they cannot receive proper treatment, why are mental health beds disappearing across this country, why are there thousands of mentally ill people out moving about in every city and town with no place to go? this country has to deal with the poor access to mental health and families should be able to seek help ,the courts need to allow parents to legally get commitment for adult children. Why would families allow guns to be in their home where they know they have a trouble family member, why do families try to keep these people a secret? there is plenty of blame to go around when we keep hearing these killers were loners, trouble had changes in personality and nothing was done.

[inmaryland1]

Great points!

[bighat2]

These shootings or planned shooting should not happen. One of the main problems is our system of laws in this county. (way to many of them) Not to long ago you didn't here about things like this happening. Why not, because when you committed an act like this they hung you from a tree and all the towns people and their children came to watch. What do you think the people and children where thinking when they watched that hanging? I'll bet they thought, hey, that's what happens to you when you do bad things. I'd better not do bad things.
Stop the madness, clean the prison system up, parents spank you kids, schools spank your kids, and start punishing people how the should be punished. An eye for an eye.

[augustus66]

Nicely put. I'm strangely comfortable with that..... (especially the second to last sentence)

[giangy333]

You had me until you said "spank your kids, schools spank your kids." What are ya from ****** Texas? Hitting kids is never acceptable. Never.

[worldodyssey]

Why is it that when someone suggests we make some rules to try and keep guns out of the hands of the mentally unstable, that gun owners often jump to the conclusion that they are being punished? Most people do not wish to ban guns - myself included. However, reasonable measures to keep guns out of the hands of the mentally unstable, especially automatic weapons, is the prudent thing to do.
We should treat guns like another dangerous item; automobiles. Car drivers have age restrictions, education and testing, licensing, insurance, traffic and drunk driving laws, license plates, VIN numbers, mandatory safety requirements, legality of street vehicles etc, all in an effort to protect the public at large. Do you feel your rights are being infringed upon when you wish to drive and must go through all this expense and red tape to allow yourself to do so? Most likely, you don't, because you recognize that these inconveniences are worth the price to keep our roads reasonably safe. Shouldn't guns be treated the same?

[augustus66]

100% totally agree we should keep guns away from the mentally unstable. Kind of a ridiculously self evident argument. I would think that 99.5% of the citizens would agree with your point. No need to debate it. The question is how, who, & when.

[WiseAsOwl]

Well, you showed how naive you were on the subject by mentioning "automatic weapons"... Automatic weapons are like machine guns... and are already outlawed.. so.. you must be talking about "semi-automatic".. A semi-automatic is one that will shoot one round, every time you pull the trigger..until it runs out of ammunition. Probably half, or more of the guns available today are "semi-automatic".. Pistols, shotguns and hunting rifles, many of them are semi-automatic.. And, I beg your pardon, but we already have many restrictions on firearms and the people who buy them.. Also, there are already restrictions on the mentally unstable having firearms... and for you to say "gun owners" are against these restrictions is totally false.. Also, if I want to buy a firearm, I have to jump through some hoops. It's not a case of just buying it and that's it.. Your analogy about automobiles.... that's pretty lame.. If you were to try to compare them, you'd suggest waiting periods before you can buy a car... you would need to show your particular need of owning a car... you could only buy a car that was equipped a particular way... you definitely couldn't buy a car at a car show... and you couldn't buy a car if you've ever been convicted of domestic violence. Anyway, lets hear more talk about restrictions on criminal elements and the mentally unstable.. and less talk about the gun and your desire to harrass the law-abiding citizen. If you're serious about actually doing something about the situation we're talking about, leave the legitimate gun owners alone, concentrate on enforcing the laws we already have, and you'll go a lot further..