I wish this was fake news but it’s not.  An 11-year-old and a 12-year-old have been arrested in Polk County for plotting to kill fellow students by stabbing them to death with knives.  The motive wasn’t jealousy or a fight over a boyfriend.  Both girls told law enforcement that they wanted to please Satan.  They told police once they killed other children, drank their blood, ate their flesh, they would kill themselves so they could go to hell to be with Satan.

The two students are in custody and have been charged with conspiracy to commit murder, possession of a weapon on school property and disrupting a school campus. Prosecutors have not yet indicated whether they will be charged as juveniles or adults.

It would be hard to envision a successful attempt to charge the two as adults in spite of the serious charges.  Mental health will be an issue in  evaluating the charging decision.

These girls didn’t do this on  a whim.  They had watched on how to use a knife to kill people.  They planned to target smaller children and told police they worshiped Satan.

Fortunately, their plan was foiled.  A fellow student told a teacher that something bad was about to happen.  The teacher acted and a tragedy was avoided, at least for the innocent children who could have been slaughtered.

In an age where schools are a terror target, this new twist adds a chilling effect.  11 an 12 year olds plotting to kill as Satan worshipers?  Schools should be sanctuaries dedicated to higher learning not potential killing fields.  These girls weren’t part of a street gang. Neither had any prior disciplinary problems.  So, what’s the problem?  Do we blame the parents?  Neither set of parents had any idea about the plot or the Satanic worship.  Is this just an isolated, aberrant incident involving two very disturbed young children?

These and many more questions should be asked by the Bartow community and the rest of us.  What’s happening to our society and our families that could possibly lead to this?