NewHampshire.com logo   Search NewHampshire.com The homepage for New Hampshire
NewHampshire.com Discounts
Welcome to NewHampshire.com Communities Sign in | Join | Help

Hooksett Banner

News and Information for the Town of Hooksett

Teen who threatened school shooting released on plea agreement

BY JENN McDOWELL

After pleading guilty in Manchester District Court to five counts of criminal threatening, a Manchester West High School student who threatened to “do a Columbine” and shoot teachers, administrators and other students was released from jail.

Sterling Lindbloom, 17, of 659 Montgomery St., Manchester, spent more than two months in jail before striking a plea bargain with the prosecution in the case, earning him suspended sentences of one year each on all counts with time served on one count.

The terms of the agreement stipulate that Lindbloom be on probation for two years, be mentally evaluated and comply with the findings of such an evaluation, turn over the evidence police seized, and adhere to a curfew between midnight and 5 a.m.

It also states Lindbloom will not be allowed at West High, and must steer clear of the subjects of his threats and the student who reported his threats.

Lindbloom’s jail time, served at Valley Street, was the result of a preventative detention order that lawyers on both sides agreed upon, following the threats on others and his own life.

According to police reports, Lindbloom, upset over breaking up with his girlfriend, called the girl and threatened to bring a gun to school and re-enact the Columbine school shootings.

Lindbloom’s former girlfriend told Manchester West Assistant Principal Keith Puglisi about the phone call on Thursday, Feb. 21, during which Lindbloom allegedly said she would be the last person to die in the act before himself. She said the call had occurred between 3 and 6 p.m. on the previous evening, Wednesday, Feb. 20.

“People need to watch their backs because something bad is going to happen at the school,” the ex-girlfriend told police and school administrators about the phone call, according to court records.

During the phone conversation, Lindbloom specifically threatened the lives of school resource officer Jamie Branch, Assistant Principal Gary Dempsey, Junior ROTC Commander Ed Hafner and another student at West, according to Branch’s affidavit.

Upon questioning, Lindbloom said he had a store of weapons in a small structure in the woods behind his house, which police later discovered. In it were found four knives, two hatchets, 31 rounds of .22 caliber ammunition, a copper pipe and blankets.

No guns were recovered, but according to a police affidavit Lindbloom said he had plans to obtain one from the home of a friend’s uncle in Massachusetts.

The weapons stash was on a separate piece of property from the one Lindbloom resided on. An inquiry to the owner of the property revealed the owner had no knowledge of the stash of weapons, Branch said.

Published Wednesday, May 07, 2008 2:25 PM by Hooksett Editor

Comment Notification

If you would like to receive an email when updates are made to this post, please register here

Subscribe to this post's comments using RSS

Comments

 

columbine shooting said:

May 9, 2008 2:06 PM
 

cobra_commander said:

This is what happens when "our" tax dollars hire incompetent judges and lawyers. Justice, herself is very blind!!! If I was the judge on this case...this teenager wouldn't see the light of day. All this judge did on this teenager's case was basically gave him a slap on the wrist and sent a message that said, "your going to jail so that you have time to think about what you have done and then once you have time to think, the outside world will find it within themselves to forgive you". Will, I think that this judge finally "smelled the roses" and finally stepped up and did the right thing...even though it was a little too late.
May 11, 2008 12:53 PM

Leave a Comment

(required) 
(optional)
(required) 
Submit

This Blog


  Print This Page  |  Email This Page  |  Make Us Your Homepage!
User Agreement  |  Privacy Policy  |  © 2006 The Union Leader Corporation  |  Powered by SilverTech