small town
An alleged plan hatched by three 16-year-old Washington state high school students to murder an 18-year-old classmate who was new to the school and whom they felt "disrupted the flow" of the social order, was nipped in the bud when other students noticed one of the schemers wearing a red mask.

On November 15, according to the Benton County, Washington, Sheriff's office, two students who were not part of the murder plot saw one of the alleged plotters wearing a red mask in the orchard behind the Ki-Be Red Apple Market. When they approached the masked young man, he fled into the orchard. School officials learned of the alleged plot to lure the 18-year-old behind the market at lunchtime and stab him; the next day one of the male suspects and a female accomplice were emergency-expelled from Kiona-Benton City High School. The officials were not aware of the other 16-year old male's involvement until November 22.

According to The Tri-City Herald, Benton County Sheriff's Sgt. Bob Brockman said the older classmate was new to the school and had "disrupted the flow" of the social order.

Kiona-Benton City School District Superintendent Wade Haun stated that a school official was "made aware that certain district students may have discussed a plan to harm another student. The matter was immediately looked into, the sheriff's department contacted and students were emergency expelled."

The Benton County Sheriff's Office said an investigation is ongoing.