15-year old suspected of planning Columbine-like rampage arrested after Reddit tipoff

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Source: http://www.businessinsider.com/ap-ge...ed-2016-7?IR=T

BERLIN (AP) — German authorities have arrested a 15-year-old boy who they suspect of having planned a rampage and also believe was in contact with a teenager who killed nine people in Munich last week.

The boy was arrested on Monday night and subsequently sent to a psychiatric facility, prosecutors and police in Ludwigsburg, near the southwestern city of Stuttgart, said Wednesday.

A witness had told police that he came across an online chat between the suspect and the Munich shooter, who killed himself following his July 22 attack. He then looked at a social media profile on which the boy had posted photos and drawings that pointed to a possible rampage.

There's no suspicion that the 15-year-old had any knowledge of plans for the Munich attack, police spokesman Peter Widenhorn said.

Police searched the boy's family home and found small-caliber bullets, several knives and daggers, escape plans for his school, chemicals and instructions for making explosives.

In questioning, the 15-year-old said that he had considered carrying out a rampage "against the background of personal and school problems," police and prosecutors said in a statement. However, he told them that he had since given up on the idea.

Prosecutors ruled out a terrorist motive and said the boy was under investigation for unauthorized possession of weapons and explosives.

Tip to police came from a Redditor who discovered an Instagram account of someone claiming to have known the 18-year old German-Iranian attacker. He then created a dummy account and befriended them. After he discovered just something odd:



but then he discovered pics of instructions for making bombing equipment, many references to gunmen attacks with friends, especially to Columbine. He went to Reddit to ask whether and how to send a tip off.

Original Reddit thread.
Today's arrest.