# Is the crime of "Attempted Murder" restricted only to people who the criminal actively tried to kill or to anyone the criminal wanted to kill?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-crime-of-attempted-murder-restricted-only-to-people-who-the-criminal-actively-tried-to-kill-or-to-anyone-the-criminal-wanted-to-kill/955893>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [December 11, 2021, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-crime-of-attempted-murder-restricted-only-to-people-who-the-criminal-actively-tried-to-kill-or-to-anyone-the-criminal-wanted-to-kill/955893 "2021-12-11T17:40:49Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Showing post:** 63

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**Author:** ![Riemann](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/riemann/32/3133_2.png) [@Riemann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Riemann)\
**Post date:** [December 16, 2021, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-crime-of-attempted-murder-restricted-only-to-people-who-the-criminal-actively-tried-to-kill-or-to-anyone-the-criminal-wanted-to-kill/955893/63 "2021-12-16T19:45:49Z")

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Just cross-posting this. Charged with attempted first degree murder based (from what I can discern) on threats to shoot up his school and buying a gun, but well before he actually set out to do so.

> [@Embry-Riddle University student arrested for plotting mass shooting](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/embry-riddle-university-student-arrested-for-plotting-mass-shooting/956158):
>
> Got him just hours before he went thru with it, too. 3 minute video segment from the local news: [[Mass Shooting Plot Thwarted After Students Report Snapchat Messages To Police] ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pp6mkIscllM)

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