Angry in the Great White North

Some very relieved parents in Wisconsin:

Two 17-year-olds suspected of plotting a shooting spree at their high school were obsessed with the mass killings at Columbine High School and had homemade bombs and weapons at their homes, investigators said Friday.

The boys were arrested Thursday at East High School after a student went to an associate principal.

These boys were armed to the teeth:

William Cornell and Shawn Sturtz were arrested for suspicion of conspiracy to commit first-degree intentional homicide and conspiracy to commit arson. They were expected in court later Friday for a bond hearing.

Police found nine rifles and shotguns, a handgun, about 20 "crudely made" explosive devices, camouflage clothing, gas masks, two-way radios and hundreds of rounds of ammunition at Cornell's house, Police Capt. Lisa Sterr said. She said Cornell had made several of the improvised explosive devices about two months ago.

At Sturtz's home, police found knives and ammunition, Sterr said.

What sort of boys were they?

Sturtz was described as being obsessed with pain and death, and both he and Cornell had been described as being depressed over the last couple of years and hated school, according to Sterr.

Sturtz had also just lost an Internet relationship with a girl, Sterr said.

"Sturtz was very upset about this and became extremely enraged and (Wednesday) talked of soon attacking the school like Columbine," Sterr said.

Police Detective Tom Molitor said the two just needed a triggering event to pull off their plan.

"They were one bad day away from something happening. It could have happened yesterday," he said.

Good thing everyone involved -- the student, the assistant principal, the police -- recognized the signs and took them seriously.