Bomb Used in Youths’ Fight Against Drugs

A group of youths formed a secret organization called the Legion of Doom and began a campaign of vigilante violence against drug use and crime at their high school, authorities said Thursday.

“This is not an ordinary situation because most of the kids are honor students and athletes who thought they were doing the right thing by the offenses they committed,” said Detective Tim Ellis.

Police attribute 30 violent incidents since December to the group, and the majority of the offenses are felonies. During the group’s latest spree, the windshield of a student’s car was shot out Friday, the body of a dissected cat was put inside another car on Saturday and a pipe bomb loaded with nails damaged a third on Sunday.

‘Your Last Warning’

The pipe-bombing damaged the student’s car, a second vehicle and a nearby house, police said. A note left at the scene said, “We do not like thieves. This is your last warning.”

The secret organization at Paschal High School included some students with 4.0 grade-point averages, “kids with good intentions who went outside the law,” Detective Ken Henry said.

The students were questioned Wednesday, and the case will be presented to a Tarrant County grand jury, police said.

Most of the violence apparently was directed at members of a rival group called Fire It Up, which was described by students as a loose-knit group with a reputation for “smoking a lot of dope, dealing in it,” said David Sanchez, a Paschal senior who is president of a citywide group of student leaders. Authorities say they have no evidence that the second group was involved in any illegal activities.

‘Nothing They Could Do’

Legion of Doom members had become frustrated over crime and drug use in the school, Henry said. “They were told there was nothing they could do” because there were no witnesses to most of the crimes, he said.

The students had obtained books on building pipe bombs and other weapons, including a bazooka, Detective Ellis said.

“Our current thinking is that, because of the large number of offenses and length of time they covered, we’re going to present it to the grand jury and let them decide,” police spokesman Doug Clarke said. “The core group is seven, and there are possibly as many as 10. The majority of offenses are felonies.”

Police moved quickly after Sunday’s bombing, saying investigators feared that vandalism might escalate into serious violence and injury.