3rd Grade Juveniles Seek Justice…

I've often posed the question to my readers, "How much younger can murderers become?"

Usually I ask the question after hearing breaking news of a twelve or thirteen-year-old with a gun killing off another teenager. These crimes usually take place in a darkened hallway or on a schoolyard playground while seeking vengeance against a classmate, settling a drug or territorial beef or simply a gang initiation.

We've seen these atrocious acts play out against humanity with such frequency lately that they've become the norm. And in my eyes society has seemingly given up trying to proactively stop them from ever happening again.

Unfortunately my question was answered this week by 3^rd graders from Center Elementary School in Waycross, Georgia.

A plot not even the greatest fiction writer could have dreamt was brought to life when 3^rd graders conspired to kill their teacher.

Her offense: Asking a student to get down from a chair he was standing on.

Her sentence: Death by glass paperweight and stabbing.

In a scheme hatched over a one week period the students began to collect all the items they'd need to carry out the plot; the paperweight, the duct tape to cover her mouth, the handcuffs to subdue her and even the knife...

The plan was so detailed that certain students had certain jobs, "You, cover the windows," and "You clean up the blood after the attack..."

What the???

I didn't think eight to ten-year-olds had the mental capacity to plot out a hit like this... A hit the likes of which any hitman would be proud.

In the end... someone blew the whistle and the juvenile terrorists were stopped before they could carry out the death sentence. Their weapons of mass destruction were confiscated and two nine-year-old girls and an eight-year old boy are charged with conspiracy to commit aggravated assault.

Little did they know they were answering a question for all of us... Eight... Eight is the magic number so far of just how young a murderer can be.

Why can I envision a child still in diapers running after their parent with a knife in one hand and a cigarette dangling from their lip?

And why doesn't that seem unimaginable anymore?

One Love, Ivan Sanchez - Your Friendly Neighborhood Author

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