GERMANY:Cologne police have admitted that two teenagers who they claimed were planning a bloodbath at their school had in fact given up on the plan over a month ago.
The admission, a day after a dramatic press conference revealing the alleged plot, has caused uproar because the younger of the two youths, aged 17 and 18, took his own life after police questioning.
After receiving an alert from school authorities, police took the youths in for questioning. A search of their homes uncovered two crossbows and air pistols and a list of 17 students and teachers.
The younger student told the police the plans were a "warning" and not intended to be realised. He promised he would remove from his personal website pictures of the 1999 Columbine high school shootings. On his way home, however, he threw himself in front of a tram and died later of his injuries.
A police spokesman claimed on Sunday that the older student admitted plans to kill and injure fellow students today and then commit suicide. However yesterday Cologne police said the 18- year-old claimed to have abandoned the plan a month ago and put his weapons beyond use.
The state prosecutor yesterday said that he would face no charges but would need counselling.