An alarming plot allegedly devised by four fifth-grade students at Legacy Traditional School in Surprise, Arizona, has come to light through a newly released police report. The students are accused of planning to lure a classmate into a bathroom, stab him, and stage his death as a suicide by planting a forged note. A fellow student overheard their conversation and alerted a parent, who then contacted the school on October 1, 2024.

According to the report, the group discussed the plan during lunch, even considering gloves to avoid leaving fingerprints. Investigators later discovered that the motive may have stemmed from a girl in the group who was reportedly upset over a breakup with the intended victim. She was quoted in the report as hating the boy and wanting him dead.

One student told police she initially joked about the plot but backed off once she realized the others were serious. Another admitted to joining the conversation out of fear of being labeled as “weird,” while a third participant felt uneasy but didn’t believe the plan would be carried out until she was assigned to stand guard. That moment, she said, made her realize it was more than talk.

The boy’s mother told police she wished to pursue charges against the students involved, who were identified in the report. The four children — two aged 10 and two aged 11 — were arrested for threatening and disorderly conduct, then released to their parents and suspended pending expulsion.

Three of the students and their families reportedly showed remorse and offered apologies, but one girl, according to the report, “would smile and laugh and made excuses for the actions.”

In a statement, Legacy Traditional School said that the safety and well-being of their students is their top priority and confirmed the school responded immediately once it was informed of the situation. “Due to federal student privacy laws, we cannot discuss individual student disciplinary matters,” the statement read. “As outlined in the Legacy Student Code of Conduct, any student who makes or shares a threat may face disciplinary action, up to and including expulsion.”

Parents of the accused students did not immediately respond to NBC’s request for comment.