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Georgia Teen Plotted to Murder Attendees of Predominantly Black Church: Police

The church’s pastor said the teen visited the church on Wednesday, but no events were scheduled.

A 16-year-old white girl has been arrested after allegedly planning to kill attendees of a predominantly black church in Georgia, The Atlanta-Journal Constitution reports. The Gainesville Police Department said the Gainesville High School student was planning on attacking Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church, and officials have determined the church was targeted “based on the racial demographic of the church members.”

School administrators alerted school resource officers late last week after students said the girl had written “detailed plans to commit murder” at the church in a notebook. School resource officers in turn alerted police, who took the teen into custody. Police spokesman Sgt. Kevin Holbrook said the teen had been plotting the attack for at least two weeks. It was unclear how the teen planned on carrying out the attack, but Police Chief Jay Parrish said the girl collected knives.

The girl, whose name has not been released, was charged with criminal attempt to commit murder and taken to Gainesville Regional Youth Detention Center. Police didn't say if anyone else was involved in the plot, but not one else has been arrested. The church's pastor, Michelle Rizer-Pool, told the newspaper that the teen visited the church last week but they had no events scheduled that evening.