Last week, investigators in Minnesota said Red Lake school shooter Jeff Weise had acted alone. But the case took a startling turn today with the bombshell arrest of a teenage classmate of the dead gunman:

The teenage son of the tribal chairman has been arrested in connection with last week’s shootings on a Minnesota Indian reservation, a law enforcement source with knowledge of the investigation said Monday.

Louis Jourdain, son of Floyd Jourdain Jr. and a student at Red Lake High School, where most of the killings took place, was arrested Sunday, the source told The Associated Press, speaking on condition of anonymity.

According to this report, Jourdain and Weise had exchanged e-mails about Weise’s murderous plans. And there may be more who knew or participated in planning:

One of the sources, who spoke on the condition his name not be used, said Jourdain and Weise exchanged e-mails that discussed Weise’s intent to go on a shooting rampage at the school. Other teenagers who were in e-mail contact with Weise also could face charges in the coming days…

…One source with knowledge of the case said the alleged e-mails between Jourdain and Weise took place days and weeks before the shooting, and involved discussions in which Weise - and perhaps others - expressed an intent to commit an act of violence at the school.

Prior to Jourdain’s arrest, his outspoken father had been all over the airwaves talking about the case–at press conferences, school meetings, speaking to President Bush, and in glowing profiles about his leadership role.

Last Thursday, the elder Jourdain lectured the American public:

“This is a wake-up call to us all. We need to spend more time with one another and paying more attention to our young people and what they’re doing and what they are saying.”

Today, he had no comment for the media.

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Here’s Jourdain’s personal website, including a photo with son Louis (I predict he’ll take it down, so have a look soon if you’re curious).

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