Cherokee County

Teens take plea in Columbine-style plot to 'kill as many people' as possible

CHEROKEE COUNTY, Ga. — Testimony has ended for the day in a sentencing hearing of two teenagers who plotted to attack a local high school.

Friday morning, Alfred Dupree, 19, and Victoria McCurley, 18, pleaded guilty to six counts of attempted murder and other felony charges from their foiled plot to attack Etowah High School.

Channel 2 investigative reporter Aaron Diamant sat in on the testimony Friday afternoon that he said was objectively horrifying to listen to.

Several witnesses gave impact statements, saying it seemed like it was the duo’s goal to kill as many people as possible.

[READ: Teens in alleged plot against school ID'd, booked into jail]

“It says, 'Jesus loves you cause no one else does,'” one witness read from a 2017 journal entry written by Dupree.

The journal was part of the evidence presented at the sentencing hearing after the two pleaded guilty earlier in the day.

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“I conspired with Alfred Dupree to attack Etowah High School and harm others in the process,” McCurley admitted in court.

The Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office ran down a tip school police got from one of Dupree’s relatives that led investigators to search both students’ homes in 2017, when they discovered weapons and explosives in McCurley’s home and the journals inside Dupree’s home.

[READ: Investigators: Students plotted attack at school, had 'hit list']

The journals detailed a blood chilling roadmap for the attack, which Sheriff’s Department Cpl. Tim Downing read aloud to the court.

“I envision us moving into the 5,000 foot building from the East Wing, individually throwing down smoke bombs and picking people off as some of the smoke fills the halls, fills the air to begin throwing explosives off a crowd still in sight,” Downing read.

[READ: Deputy: Hero helped stop 'Columbine-style' attack at Etowah High School]

Downing also read equally disturbing words from McCurley.

“I think that smoke bombs are a good idea, why not? Let’s go for it. I think we should make it through the lunchroom first, or upstairs -- wherever there are more people. We should think about setting up more bombs, though, I just want to kill as many people as I can.”

[READ: Father says not to take life for granted after learning daughter was on hit list]

Also, in the journal was a so-called kill list with names of special education students and a teacher.

The only defense witness called so far was Dupree's former employer, who called him a shining star.

Testimony picks back up Monday afternoon.

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