Archive for the 'Winslow Township' Category

Teens say ‘goths’ just one of many high school cliques

This is a pretty good article from the Courier Post that tries to dispel the stereotypes about goths being satan worshippers and the like. However one of the suspects isn’t helping to break that stereotype…

At Winslow Township High School, three teens, described by their peers as “goths,” face numerous charges for allegedly planning to execute up to 25 teachers and students during a lunch period. One of the teens, the alleged ringleader, describes himself as “gothic” on his MySpace Web site and hails Satan as his hero.

I can’t confirm that since we don’t have the names of the suspects.

The best quote comes from a 16-year-old girl from Moorestown, NJ…

Canella Kolo, 16, said she knows that some “goths” are distraught over the harassment but she doesn’t think they would resort to violence.

“You got some issues if that’s what you’re thinking about,” said Kolo, a student at Rancocas Valley. “They just talk a lot.”

2 girls get credit for foiling plot:

This article, also from the Courier Post, commends the school and the two students who came forward about the plot…

This week’s revelations of an alleged plot to kill 25 people in and around Winslow Township High School had a silver lining, interim Principal Michele Ferner said.

“The good news is that the system worked,” said Ferner, who took over the troubled school in January. “The kids trusted the administration and the teaching staff enough to come to us with the rumors, knowing that we would investigate them.”

Two girls arrived in Ferner’s office March 30 to tell what they had heard of a plot. They acted shy, a bit embarrassed and made reference to a 2003 movie that depicts a school shooting, she said.

Ferner and her staff investigated and notified the township police. The three Winslow High students who were eventually charged in an alleged murder conspiracy were not in school that day, she said.

The Camden County prosecutors office also said there were no plans to charge any more suspects at this time but the investigation is ongoing.

Not only are we going to talk about the Winslow Township High School plot but we’re going to have a little lesson in journalism too…

Teens in Gun Plot Due in Court:

This article is from Action News in Philly, which touts itself as the newscast in the Philly area. According to the article the three teens charged in the plot confessed. The police say the three boys are all freshman. Isn’t 16 a little old for a freshman? Just wondering. The article also says that they had a hit list of 25 names, which included teachers and athletes. Not surprising actually. Leads me to believe that these kids were probably mutants. However, Action News puts this in their article…

Police say the boys were part of the Goth culture which worships the devil and believes in vampires.

How many times do we have to go through this? Just because someone is “goth” doesn’t automatically make them devil worshippers. Way to keep perpetuating that stereotype Action News. It’s kind of like saying that all blacks eat watermelon and fried chicken.

Next up, the Philadelphia Inquirer…

Massacre plot at Winslow alleged:

The youngest of the three has additional assault charges against him for grabbing a girl from by the neck and telling her he would kill her. No weapons were recovered. This is a little chilling…

Authorities said the youths, who live in the Sicklerville and Waterford sections of the township, had planned to launch their rampage by entering the lunchroom one day this month and initiating a food fight.

That chaos, the teens planned, would allow them to start throwing chairs, and from there the 15-year-old – described by authorities as the ringleader – would pull out a handgun and fire a shot aimed at getting everyone on the ground.

The 15-year-old would then walk around the lunchroom and execute people, authorities said.

The youths also had plans to shoot others at residences and elsewhere, officials said.

Police say the three tried to buy guns from black market dealers. One took their money and never sold them any guns. The other was arrested on a warrant before he could give them any firearms.

The father of one of the three said his son was “a good kid” and that this might be a misunderstanding.

The boys are being held as juveniles but that could change, as the investigation is ongoing.

Notice something missing from the article?

Conversely here is an article from the Philly Daily News. Published by the same company that publishes the Inquirer…

3 teens accused of massacre plot:

Here we go again…

They said the youths were part of “the so-called Goth culture” that is involved in “satanic worship and witchcraft.”

So now we have devil worshipping, believing in vampires, and now witchcraft. I realize these quotes are coming from police but come on. How about doing just a smidge more investigating before printing these stereotypes. I would even lay odds that the kids weren’t even “goth”. They’re probably just some Marilyn Manson wannabes. And no I’m not blaming this on Marilyn Manson either.

And lastly from the South Jersey Courier Post…

3 boys charged in threats:

Hmm. No mention of witchcraft, satanism, or vampires here. So I guess we know who the semi-responsible journalists are in the Philly/South Jersey area.

More on the situation as it develops.