The 13-year-old Landstown Middle School student was taken into custody and was charged last Thursday with two felony counts of possession of explosive materials, suitable for making bombs. The Virginia Beach student spent the weekend in a Juvenile Detention Center.
Teacher discovers explosive devices in Virginia Beach student’s locker
Eileen Cox – speaking for Virginia Beach Public Schools – said that after a teacher had told school administrators of the existence of chemical explosive devices in a student’s locker at the school on May 5, they notified the Virginia Beach police and the fire department.
WVEC-TV, who originally broke the story and who spoke to Cox, is still trying to uncover how the teacher knew of the existence of the explosive devices in the first place.
However, as reported by the New York Daily News, investigators do not believe the teenager had “any malicious intent” for the substances or that the Virginia Beach student was actively planning to hurt anyone.
Students say Virginia Beach student was ‘ smart’ and an honors student
According to other students at the school, the teenager was an honors student and was “really smart.” They said he was always building things. However, on top of the two felony charges, the Virginia Beach student could be expelled from the Landstown Middle School over his possession of the explosive devices.
Alert Now phone call to parents of students at the middle school
After the discovery of the explosive devices, John Parkman, the school principal, sent out an Alert Now phone call to notify parents of the incident. Parkman went on to remind parents that their children are not allowed to bring any hazardous materials into the school.
He added that students must speak up if they have any knowledge of any such incidents.
Virginia teen arrested after explosives discovered in locker: A 13-year-old middle school student in Virginia Beach… https://t.co/XzcrUwGApP pic.twitter.com/Nt4bjflCan
— NewYork (@NewYorkLoving) May 11, 2017
Some students are scared over the incident; others laughed it off
WVEC-TV spoke to Will Dresden, one of the students at the Landstown Middle School, who told them there had been a mixed reaction to the incident among the teenager’s classmates.
Dresden said some of the students were scared, and some are laughing it off, as though it was nothing.
However, his mother, Colleen Dresden, said she was afraid – for her children and the other students at the school. Saying she was starting to sound like her grandmother, she asked what the world is coming to.
The Daily News reported that Dresden wants the middle school to ensure there are no other explosives stored elsewhere in the building.
