Mum bought weapons for bullied son

Mum bought weapons for bullied son

25.09.2008
Mum bought weapons for bullied son
Weapons ... Michele Cossey of Pennsylvania has been found guilty of buying an arsenal of weapons for her bullied son who was planning a school massacre / AP

  • Mum guilty of buying arsenal for son
  • Son planning Columbine-style massacre at school
  • Created "me-and-mum-against-the-world" attitude

A WOMAN has been found guilty of buying an arsenal for her bullied 14-year-old son, who was planning a Columbine-style massacre at a school.

Michele Cossey, 46, of Plymouth, Pennsylvania, admitted she helped her troubled son Dillon build a cache of weapons by buying a rifle and gunpowder but investigators still do not know whether she was aware her son was planning a deadly school attack.

Dillon, who left school at 12 after being bullied over his weight, planned to use them in a massacre in Plymouth Township, Pennsylvania.

He was caught when a schoolfriend he wanted to help with the attack told the police.

Dillon was sentenced to seven years in a juvenile detention centre earlier this year after pleading guilty to planning the attack, The Sun reported.

Michele Cossey pleaded guilty in Montgomery County Court on Tuesday to one count of child endangerment.

The court was told she bought Dillon an assault rifle fitted with a sniper’s scope, a 9mm handgun, a .22 rifle and gunpowder to make grenades.

Prosecutors said she had created a "me-and-mum-against-the-world" attitude in her only child.

Dillon Cossey had such a passion for the Columbine High School shooters that he decided to attack Plymouth Whitemarsh High School last year, according to the eNews.2.0 news website.

Dillon had been home-schooled since he left public school because of bullying.

His defence lawyer said internet violence woke the boy’s fantasies and he wished for a school attack.

Dillon had also been in touch with a Finnish teenager who carried out a massacre at his school last November, The Sun said.

Pekka-Eric Auvinen, 18, shot dead six pupils, a nurse and the head teacher before killing himself.

On Tuesday another Finn, Matti Juhani Saari, 22, massacred ten pupils at his college.

Michelle Cossey will be sentenced once psychiatric reports are completed.

Montgomery County Assistant District Attorney Christopher Parisi said she had tried to boost her son`s self-esteem "and in some way help the child, as misplaced as those thoughts may have been".

She could get three to seven years in jail, Mr Parisi said.

 

NEWS.com.au is not responsible for the content of external sites.

Share stories with friends in a click. Get your favourite NEWS.com.au content on your social networking profile.

Michele and Dillon Cossey / AP
Weapons ... Michele Cossey of Pennsylvania has been found guilty of buying an arsenal of weapons for her bullied son who was planning a school massacre / AP

Font size: +-

Send this article:PrintEmail

Video

]

Advertisement

Tools
Share this article:

09/25/2008 RBA says Australian banks are sound
THE Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) has welcomed what it describes as unprecedented actions by US authorities to preserve financial stability in the US and ease the disruption in global credit markets
09/25/2008 New fears as horse re-tested for equine flu
THERE are fears of another horse flu outbreak after conflicting test results from a horse at a Sydney quarantine centre
09/25/2008 Share market dragged down by resources
THE share market was weaker at noon, dragged down by the resources sector
09/25/2008 300-year ban on Catholic monarchs may go
THE British Government is drawing up plans to end a 300-year-old exclusion of Catholics from the royal line of succession, as well as ending the priority given to male heirs, The Guardian newspaper says
Old news sends airline`s stock into freefall
Freefall ... United Airlines shares dropped after a 2002 story about it failing for bankruptcy resurfaced online / NEWS.com.au
Old news sends airline`s stock into freefall   09/10/2008
01. 2009
Mo Tu Wd Th Fr Sa Su
1234
567891011
12131415161718
19202122232425
262728293031


Google


Categories: News Headlines Business News Entertaiment News Hi-tech & Science Sport
Global: Americas Europe Africa Australia Asia Middle East