Teen set chlorine bombs near sleeping family, police say

[susanbanks44]

Source: CNN

PITTSBURGH, Pennsylvania (AP) -- A suburban Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, teenager tried to kill his sleeping family by placing homemade chlorine bombs while they slept, police said.

Christopher Janney, 16, of South Fayette, Pennsylvania, was charged with attempted homicide for leaving what police described as "chlorine compression bombs" near the heads of five family members while they were asleep. Janney is being charged as an adult.

Police said the six devices were made of clear bottles with white powder that smelled of chlorine. The bottles did not explode and no one was injured.

Janney's mother, Bonnie, told CNN affiliate WPXI-TV that her son "has mental problems," but that she did not think he would do anything to hurt her. A person who answered the phone at the family's home told The Associated Press no one would comment.

The one-page complaint spelled out some details of what family members told police, but did not explain Janney's purported motive.

Read more: http://www.cnn.com/2008/CRIME/10/08/chlorine.bomb.plot.ap/?iref=hpmostpop

[shadowknows69]

1. WTF, they need to figure out a way to lock this kid up for life

Tell me this isn't a serial killer in the making. You need to be pretty fucking evil to plan to kill your family like that.

[tomreedtoon]

5. Sadly, the kid will be the next big horror icon.

The Hollywood stumblebums who make all those violent, disgusting slasher movies will take this kid's story and make him the next horror hero. He'll join the legions of all those psychos and ghosts that kill teenagers left and right in disgusting fashion. Remember that Ed Gein was the origin of both <i>Psycho</i> and <i>The Texas Chainsaw Massacre.</i> This pathetic kid will be more famous than anyone posting here. And that's the real tragedy.

[happyslug]

15. Not a Serial Killer profile, sound like he has serious mental problems instead

Definition of Serial Killer:

A serial killer is a person who murders usually three or more people<1> over a period of more than 30 days with a "cooling off" period between each murder, whose motivation for killing is largely based on psychological gratification.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Serial_killer

This is different from Spree Killers (See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spree_killer ) and Mass Murders (See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mass_murder ).

In fact this case sound more like Mass Murder, as that is normally defined, then anything else. Sounds more and more like a person with a mental problem who decided the best solution was to kill off his family. He needs help not punishment.

[comtec]

2. Just another good Xian, RWing, who was doing the lord's work

because his family was just tooo librul to be allowed.
I'll bet 5 dollars to Obama that was the case!

[Marrah_G]

4. I would put my money simply on a mentally ill kid.

RW, Liberal, Libertarian, independent, not politically aware, religious, agnostic, athiestic, black, white, brown, all have kids who are mentally ill.

[1monster]

6. Agreed! And, unless one has personal experience of mentally or emotionally ill children, or one is

is a pediatrics mental health professional, one probably has no basis for forming an opinion.

Quite often, the mentally ill child has no real understanding of consequenses. They do need constant supervison, but they do not need to be "locked up" (prison?) for the rest of their lives as was suggested by a poster upthread.

Many times, mentally ill children can become upstanding, contributing citizens if they are given the right treatment therapies and guidence.

It takes time, patience, and, of course, money. But it is worth the effort and the money.

I will never understand the attitude that would throw a child away without first making every effort to help that child.

Sign this by the stepmother of a child whose parents were told to "institutionalize him" when he was twelve years old. Today, he has held two jobs, one for ten years, another for three now, and tries to do his best. He will always need some supervision and assistance, but he didn't need "institutionalization" or, as some would have suggested, prison for life.

[redqueen]

11. Well said. (nt)

[superduperfarleft]

7. What a stupid comment. n/t

[Dr. Strange]

10. Just another dumbass commentator, who was doing the bigot's work.

[JerseygirlCT]

3. This has to be one of the most heartbreaking situations

parents can find themselves in.

I feel badly for them, whoever they are.

[Lance_Boyle]

8. better heartbroken than headsploded

they will no doubt continue to love their son, but the kid needs to be restrained for others' safety. Mom doubting that he would hurt anyone enables him to hurt people.

[JerseygirlCT]

13. I'm sure the child needs help

And many parents have a hard time realizing this about their own children.

In any event, whoever they are, I feel for them all. A child with mental illness is a heartbreaking thing.

[bluesmail]

9. Recruit the kid for this election cycle, quick.

[go west young man]

12. What was the bomb?

Chlorine powder in clear bottles? What devices? Were they wired to any thing that could ignite the chlorine? It sounds more like he was attempting to make them inhale the chlorine while they slept. This article is sensationalist and explains nothing in regards to a bomb. Sounds like our fear mongering media trying to keep terrorism on our minds if you ask me. The boy obviously is unwell and needs help but the article is seriously flawed.

[thegreatrockyhill]

14. But all dat dere violent stuff...

...happens in the city n at. People sre skeeered to come to the city.

I'm a life-long city resident, and I don't remember anything like that ever happening in my neighborhood.

All is not well in suburbia.