Did these bullies always get a slap on the wrist and that is why they felt they could set another kid on fire?

Do you think the bullies that doused Michael Brewer http://www.makli.com/michael-brewer-0053451/ alcohol and set him on fire figured the worse they would suffer behind that deed would be just getting grounded, losing their iPod or cell phone for a time, or get grounded? Since it would be logical to think that a person don’t go from “good kid” to setting another kid on fire overnight that maybe what discipline they got for pass behavior was less than effective?