A 15-year-old sophomore was arrested at Willamette High School Wednesday afternoon for setting off a homemade bomb in a plastic, wall-mounted garbage can.
At around 11:05 a.m., between classes at the school, the device exploded, startling some students, said Pat McGillivray, community relations director for the Bethel School District. A Eugene Police Department school resources officer ushered students into classrooms and the Eugene bomb squad and a Federal Protective Services officer with a bomb-sniffing dog searched the school for additional explosives. None were found and students were allowed out of their classrooms at about 1:20 p.m.
“No doors were locked, but it was the same sort of procedure,” McGillivray said.
McGillivray said the sophomore stated he thought it would be a prank. He said no one was injured and there were no damages.
The youth is charged with manufacturing a destructive device, possession of a destructive device in a public building, recklessly endangering and disorderly conduct in the second degree, according to an EPD press release.
“When you manufacture an explosive device and bring it to a public place, those are very serious events,” said EPD Captain Steve Swenson.
Swenson said all Eugene school campuses have a regular full-time armed officer assigned. He said this has worked well for both the schools and the police department, and has been helpful in several situations.
“The response today was intended to ensure the safety of the students, the faculty and the public at large,” Swenson said. “We’re very happy it wasn’t part of a larger problem. We know there’s a lot of sensitivity about that right now.”