Inside the Alleged Recess Plot by 5th Graders to Kill Classmate, Then Stage It as a Suicide: 'Just End Him'

Four Arizona fifth graders allegedly plotted to stab a classmate during recess — then stage his death as a suicide, a newly released police report claims. 

The girls, ages 10 and 11, were students at Legacy Traditional School in Surprise, Ariz., when they allegedly hatched the plan to kill their classmate at recess on October 1, 2024, according to the report obtained by AZ Family, 12News and WSFA. 

They allegedly agreed to “just end him” over cheating allegations following a break up, per the report. 

Each child allegedly had a role to play in the plot: One would bring a knife to school, one would act as look out, and another girl would stab their victim in the stomach in an outdoor bathroom on campus, the report alleges.

A fourth girl would forge a suicide note; the young suspects even planned to wear gloves to avoid leaving fingerprints on their weapon, according to the report. 

But keen-eared classmates overheard the alleged scheme and warned school officials, per the report. The next day, the girls’ backpacks were searched, they were questioned individually with their parents present, and their plot unraveled, the report alleges.

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Three of the girls showed remorse, according to the report. But the fourth would allegedly “smile and laugh while making excuses for their actions.”

All four were arrested on charges of threatening and misdemeanor disorderly conduct; they were released into their parents’ custody and suspended from school pending expulsion, per the report. 

School officials did not immediately return PEOPLE’s request for comment.