Bartlesville teenager to stand trial in school-shooting plot
BY LAURA SUMMERS World Correspondent
Friday, February 22, 2013
2/22/13 at 8:16 AM
BARTLESVILLE - An 18-year-old Bartlesville High School senior was bound over for trial Thursday on a charge of plotting a mass school shooting after a preliminary hearing that included testimony about notes he had written that he was becoming "comfortable" with the idea of killing.
After hearing testimony from three police officers and a high school student, Special Judge John Gerkin found probable cause to bind over for trial Sammie Eaglebear Chavez on a charge of planning, attempting or conspiring to perform an act of violence with the intention of causing serious bodily harm or death to other students.
Chavez is jailed with bail set at $1 million.
The Washington County District Attorney's Office entered as evidence in the case notes police officers found in Chavez's pocket when he was arrested. The notes were dated Dec. 3, 4, 5 and 6, 2012.
Officer Jacob Moran read aloud part of the notes, which talk about thoughts of killing or hurting someone making the author smile.
"How many times must the freaks or nerds or punks or geeks shoot up a school before they let us express ourselves without ridiculing us ..." the notes state. "Those who deserve to die will be killed. Those that don't know our cause will be forced to witness it."
Tyler White, a Bartlesville High School student, testified about sitting in the cafeteria Dec. 12 at a table with Chavez who was outlining "a plan to shoot up the high school. They would lock the doors and get everyone to the auditorium."
He testified that Chavez was planning to have an announcement over the intercom to get classmates to the high school auditorium and then to begin shooting after the doors were locked with chains, and pipe bombs would be placed by the exits.
Chavez was arrested about 4:50 a.m. Dec. 14 after an investigation into concerns brought by students to school administrators about the cafeteria conversation.
Police Lt. Kevin Ickleberry testified that his search of Chavez's home turned up a Marlin model 99 M1 .22-caliber semiautomatic rifle just inside the front room beside the couch.
Ickleberry also took several photographs of what Chavez's mother called "the murder table," on which the word "murder" was carved repeatedly along with several dates. Ickleberry told the court that when he researched the dates, information about school shootings and mass shootings turned up.
The judge agreed to a request from District Attorney Kevin Buchanan to adjust the charge against Chavez to include a section of law that addresses planning violence as well as one that includes acts of violence.
Chavez is scheduled for arraignment March 27.
Original Print Headline: B'ville teen due trial in school shooting plot
Associated Images:
Sammie Chavez is led into a Bartlesville courtroom for a preliminary hearing Thursday. Chavez is charged with planning a mass school shooting in Bartlesville. MICHELLE M. MARTIN/for the Tulsa World
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