Four 5th-grade girls from Legacy Traditional School in Surprise, Arizona, have been arrested for allegedly plotting to kill a male classmate and stage the act as a suicide. The girls, all between 10 and 11 years old, reportedly devised a detailed plan that included luring the boy to an outdoor bathroom during recess on October 1, 2024, stabbing him in the stomach, and leaving behind a forged suicide note to make it appear he had taken his own life.
According to police reports, each girl was assigned a specific role in the plan. One was to bring the knife, another was to write the suicide note, a third was to act as a lookout, and the fourth was supposed to carry out the stabbing while wearing gloves to avoid leaving fingerprints. Investigators believe the motive behind the plot was related to a personal conflict—possibly a breakup and rumors of cheating involving one of the girls.
Fortunately, other students overheard conversations about the plan and immediately alerted school staff. School officials quickly responded, and by the next day, backpacks were searched and each of the four girls was questioned with a parent present. During the investigation, three of the girls reportedly showed remorse, while one allegedly laughed and smiled while discussing the plot.
All four girls were arrested and charged with threatening and misdemeanor disorderly conduct. They have been released to their parents and suspended from school, with possible expulsion still under review.
