Two Utah High School Students Arrested for Bomb Plot
Posted by Kaitlin Kindbergh on Fri, Jan 27, 2012 @ 11:15 AM
Overview
Two Roy High School students were arrested Wednesday, January 25th, 2012 after authorities learned they were planning to attack their high school in Roy, Utah with small arms and improvised explosive devices. Allegedly, Dallin Morgan, 18, and his accomplice Joshua Hoggan, 16, planned to attack a large group of students during a school assembly. According to the Roy Chief of Police the two suspects intended to “cause as much harm as possible to students and faculty” and to “kill and fly their way out of the country.”
It has been reported that the two suspects conducted months of pre-operational planning and that they knew the Closed Circuit Television System and layout of the school, giving them an advantage over their victims and first responders. One of the young men claimed to have constructed a pipe bomb in the past, using the device to destroy a mailbox. The use of handguns or rifles was briefly mentioned in police reports, with one of the suspects “having three handguns in his house.” Lastly, the level of commitment between the two young men was extraordinary; they reportedly spent hundreds of hours on flight simulator software which exhibits extreme dedication to the plot and each other.
With the pre-operational planning complete the two suspects appeared to be moving into the operational phase of the attack. The plan reportedly involved an IED targeting a large concentration of students, followed by small arms attacks on survivors or first responders. Dallin Morgan was tasked with purchasing the guns, while Joshua Hoggan had the knowledge and ability to construct the pipe bombs. The plan was disrupted by a fellow student who stepped forward and spoke to a school security official. Hoggan reportedly sent a text message with overtures of a potential attack, “revenge on the world” and bragged, “we have a plan to get away with it.” After receiving the threatening information, police intervened and prevented the attack.
Additional details regarding the potential attack:
- Social media played a crucial role in the discovery of the planned attack; impulsive communication through texting potentially led to the discovery of the plot.
- Using lessons learned from previous attacks; Columbine shooting was likely their model.
Implications
Schools tend to be vulnerable, soft targets which typically lack strict security measures. The use of an explosive device would have had devastating consequences. Vigilant students are the first line of defense to thwart potential attacks. Students, as well as adults, need to understand the importance of reporting threatening information, as their judgment of a fellow student or coworker is likely more accurate than school administrators or company leadership.
