Four girls and 1 boy involved in the plot.
AB Wire
Five New Jersey fifth-graders at a school in Clifton have been arrested after police discovered they were plotting to bomb another school’s assembly.
The students, ages 10 and 11, are all students at Clifton Elementary School, reported the New York Daily News.
Police said the five students were planning to “cause damage” by setting off an explosive device at an assembly being held at Clifton High School Wednesday.
Cops moved in to make the arrests after teachers discovered written plans detailing how to attack the school, said the report.
Investigators even found a “device” — but no explosive elements were involved.
Clifton Police spokesman Robert Bracken said the device was filled with vinegar and cinnamon, and so would not have exploded.
“It was not a prank. They had a legitimate plan,” Bracken said, according to Pix11.com.
CBS reported, quoting Bergen Record that the students brought a fake explosive device on a field trip to the high school. The device contained vinegar and cinnamon and was determined to be nonfunctioning.
Fellow students said that the children were crying as they were led out of the school by police. At least one parent took her students out of school Thursday. Several parents said they were not notified of the alleged plot, reported CBS.
Police also suspect an outside influence may have helped the students formulate the plan, reported the Post.
The five — believed to be four girls and one boy — were arrested and released to their parents. All five have been suspended from school, and there are no official charges as yet.
Police officials described it as an isolated incident and said there were no other security issues at the school.