Four students charged in Utah alleged school plot

VERNAL, Utah (AP) _ Two students were charged Friday in an alleged plot to bomb the commons of their high school in eastern Utah and kill classmates and teachers. <br/><br/>Two other teens, both juveniles,

Friday, October 29th 2004, 8:08 pm

By: News On 6

VERNAL, Utah (AP) _ Two students were charged Friday in an alleged plot to bomb the commons of their high school in eastern Utah and kill classmates and teachers.

Two other teens, both juveniles, also have been arrested, but were not charged Friday. According to court documents, some of the suspects' parents also may have been targets.

Steven Alan Kunzler, 18, and Todd Goodrich, 18, were charged with making a terroristic threat, burglary, attempted theft and criminal mischief. Kunzler also was charged with tampering with a witness.

He and one of the juveniles contacted a female sexual abuse victim involved in a separate case in an attempt to persuade her not to testify or to change her testimony, according to court documents.

According to court documents, the teens planned on using an explosive device in the school's ``commons area ... where it would have the most impact.'' Plans had been made and steps taken to build the bomb, the documents stated.

Sheriff's Deputy Robert Roth said the Uintah High School students had access to weapons and had downloaded material from the Internet that could be instructive in bomb-making.

He said investigators also discovered ``hit lists'' naming at least 10 victims _ including other students, teachers and some of the suspects' parents.

Information given to a deputy assigned to the high school led police to the suspects, who were arrested Wednesday, Roth said.