In Plymouth Township, Pennsylvania, praise by the President of the United States apparently wasn’t enough to prevent a teen from stealing an Xbox 360.
President Bush had personally lauded Lewis Bennett, 14, for his role in neutralizing what authorities described as a possible “Columbine-style” assault at Plymouth-Whitemarsh High School. However, he and three other ninth graders later burglarized the home of the would-be attacker in two separate incidents.
Bennett was a friend of Dillon Cossey, 14, who admitted in October that he had stockpiled weapons to attack the school. Bennett reportedly confided in his parents about Cossey’s plans, eventually leading to an investigation. Cossey later gained national attention after police found four homemade hand grenades, a 9mm semiautomatic carbine, and other weapons in his bedroom.
In a police interview, Bennett admitted that he and one of the other boys broke through an unsecured window, taking items that included an Xbox 360, iPod, and air guns. An accomplice and a third teen later stole video game components and jewelry from the home.
Bennett sold an Xbox 360 controller for $20 to a fellow student. The teen was later caught approaching other students trying to sell more of the stolen goods.
Bennett’s attorney suggested that the intense media attention on the teen, due largely to President Bush meeting and hailing him as a hero, may have influenced his behavior.
