Opinion ID: 786427
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Events Preceding the April 23rd Arrest

Text: 4 In April 1999, Rhys Williams and Zach Durbin were fourteen years old and were in the eighth grade at Cambridge Junior High School. Both students had previous criminal problems and were on juvenile probation in April 1999. Rhys also had been disciplined by the school for several incidents of threatening behavior. 5 On Wednesday, April 21, 1999, one day after the Columbine tragedy, the two boys went to Rhys's house. While there, they watched television coverage of the Columbine shootings with Rhys's mother, Gail Allen. At some point that afternoon, Rhys asked his mother what she would do if Rhys and Zach did something like that. JA at 469 (Durbin Dep.). 6 Later that night Zach spoke with a classmate, Kayla Hollins, on the telephone. According to Zach, he merely told Kayla about his conversation with Rhys and Gail Allen earlier in the day. According to Kayla, Zach told her that he was getting sick of the way things were going and was planning on bringing a gun to school or bombing the school. JA at 252 (Hollins Test.). Kayla alleged that Zach also said he would kill the preps first, JA at 147 (Hollins Recorded Statement) — meaning that he would kill Sadie LePage and that Kayla would be one of the first to go, JA at 532 (Hollins Dep. I) — but that he would not hurt Katie Spittle because he liked her, JA at 151 (Hollins Written Statement).