GREEN BAY, Wis. -- Authorities in Green Bay said that they have two 17-year-old boys in custody who are suspected of planning a plot at an area high school.

Authorities said that William Cornell and Shawn Sturtz amassed a cache of guns, ammunition, bombs and other gear at their homes that they apparently planned to use at some point at Green Bay's East High School. Police said the boys wanted officers to shoot them in the process.

Police Chief Craig Van Schyndle said that officers who found the materials also found suicide notes by the two, and it appears that something was going to happen in the very near future.

Police raided the two homes early on Friday and found the sawed-off shotguns, pistols, ammunition, several bombs, bomb-making material, camouflage clothing, helmets and gas masks.

Most of the material was found at one of the two homes. None of the weapons was found at the school. The chief said that the students had learned bomb-making on the Internet.

He said that a resource officer at the school learned that the two had homemade bombs and weapons at their homes. The officer also said that he learned the two were "obsessed with pain, death, and had suicidal thoughts."

"Sturtz and Cornell were long-time friends, hated school and had been depressed over the past couple of years. They feel they did not fit in with others at school. Sturtz was described as obsessed with pain and death," Green Bay Police Capt. Lisa Starr said Friday morning at a news conference.

She said both long had been fascinated with the Columbine shooting incident

The two were quickly located and detained, leading to the search of the residences.

The chief said that they could face charges of conspiracy to commit murder and conspiracy to commit arson.

At the news conference, Green Bay Mayor Jim Schmitt said what could have been a "terrible, terrible day" was thwarted. Schmitt is asking the district attorney to find out where the boys' parents were and how much they knew.

Brown County District Attorney John Zakowski said he will look into that, but can't charge parents with being ignorant.