A 15-year-old student at Ponderosa High School in Douglas County is facing attempted murder charges after allegedly bringing an explosive device to the school premises. As reported by Denver7, the incident which placed the school on high alert, occurred on the morning of March 4th when a school resource officer was alerted to a potential threat and subsequently discovered the suspicious device in the student's backpack.
Following the discovery, the school was evacuated, though no other devices were found, after the school's clearance at around 11:40 a.m., students were allowed to return to the classroom, as confirmed by 9News. The student, whose identity has not been released due to his juvenile status, could potentially face charges as an adult pending a transfer hearing, which would then result in the public disclosure of his name and further details of the case.
Meanwhile, the District Attorney for Colorado's 23rd Judicial District, George Brauchler, is facing the decision of whether to pursue this case in the juvenile court system or to advance it to adult court. Discussing the gravity of the charges involving bomb-making and possession, Brauchler indicated to KDVR the serious nature of the allegations, saying, "We’re talking about bomb making and bomb possessing."
In addition to legal consequences, the student is expected to face disciplinary actions by district policies, as stated by the Ponderosa High School principal Ryan Hollingshead in a letter addressed to families.
