A concerned Tennessee mother has thwarted her own son's bizarre plans to murder the members of 'N Sync. Sumner County officials were called into action when the mother of the 17-year-old in question discovered a folder containing his outlined plans and drawings to ambush the boy band. In his plan, the unidentified youth was to rob a local gun shop, killing its employees if necessary, after which he would travel to Atlanta on the evening of October 21, the same night 'N Sync is set to take the stage at Philips Arena. His plan of action from that point on: kill the band and anyone who gets in his way. Sheriff Captain Don Linzy suspects the boy was acting alone, and he tells the Gallatin News Examiner, "Everything in the writings indicates he was the only one. It was always 'I' this and 'I' that, there was never any 'we.'" Linzy is quick to give credit to the boy's mother for her actions, noting that if parents took more of an active part in their children's doings, tragedies like the one at Columbine High School more than a year ago can be avoided. "I know it's never an easy thing to do, but she did the right thing in alerting authorities. She found something disturbing and took action." As for why 'N Sync was at the center of this boy's hatred, Linzy references to the boy's writings, which essentially said, "The group gets all the good girls." The 17-year-old is now undergoing a series of psychological evaluations to determine his mental well-being. Writer Roger Smith of the News Examiner tells LAUNCH, "This boy has had previous psychological problems," and adds, "The mother reported her son as soon as she found the folder." As their fame continues to grow, security has become a must for the members of 'N Sync.

Although a majority of their fans respect the band member's private lives, there are always some who try to get too close. Joey Fatone recently told LAUNCH, "I think sometimes certain people may take it a little bit too far, and try to get more into your personal life. Screaming, enjoying the music and, you know, wanting an autograph or picture -- that's cool -- but starting to go into your private life or trying to lie about different things that may or may not have happened, you know what I'm saying? It's just things that have been stretched too far out -- that's not a healthy thing. That's the scary thing about it."