A 15-year-old student at Benson Polytechnic High School in Portland now faces 19 criminal counts, including domestic terrorism and attempted murder, after authorities say he brought chemicals from home and mixed them inside the school on Sept. 8, releasing toxic gases that sickened students and staff.
The teenager himself was among those harmed. He was rushed to a hospital in critical condition after the mixture released fumes inside the cafeteria, but he survived. His identity has not been released because of his age.
Multnomah County District Attorney Nathan Vasquez announced the charges at an Oct. 2 news conference, saying the case underscores the stakes involved when violence touches a school.
“Safety in our schools is not something that can be negotiated,” Vasquez said. “That violence or the threat of violence in a school… it doesn’t just stay in that building. It follows families home. It sits at the dinner table with them.”
What Happened at Benson
The incident occurred shortly before 8:30 a.m. with numerous students and staff nearby, according to Assistant Chief of Investigations Franz Schoening with the Portland Police Bureau. Teachers and administrators moved students away from the scene while the school nurse began treating the teen until first responders arrived.
“Those first few moments were critical in preventing further harm and lives being lost,” Schoening said.
More than 100 students and staff were assessed after being evacuated, and at least seven required medical care, Schoening said.
Sgt. Jim DeFrain, who supervises the Metropolitan Explosive Disposal Unit and the investigation, said initial testing indicated the presence of hydrogen sulfide, a toxic gas. An Oregon National Guard team reached the same conclusion. Samples were sent to an FBI laboratory for further testing, and results were still pending as of the briefing. The FBI is also examining electronic equipment seized during searches.
The Charges
The teen faces 10 counts of attempted aggravated murder, one count of attempted first-degree murder, one count of attempted second-degree murder, one count of first-degree domestic terrorism and one count of second-degree domestic terrorism. He also faces counts for unlawfully manufacturing and possessing a destructive device, possessing a weapon in a public building, unlawfully using a weapon, and recklessly endangering another person.
Portland Police Bureau Public Information Manager Mike Benner said investigators uncovered “concerning behaviors and statements” prior to the incident, including an interest in hazardous chemicals, explosives and violence.
The teen’s attorneys have denied the allegations. According to The New York Times, he is currently being treated at an inpatient mental health facility.
A Push to Try Him as an Adult
Vasquez said his office intends to move the case out of juvenile court and into the adult system, citing the safety of students and staff.
“And I want to be clear, they’re teenagers, but these are children, and they deserve a safe environment,” Vasquez said.
The district attorney also used the case to criticize what he called a structural flaw in Oregon’s juvenile justice system, which ends its oversight of an offender at age 25 regardless of the danger that person may still pose.
“I think that that is wrong,” Vasquez said. “I’m looking at conduct and how dangerous that is and what I consider to be safe for the community going forward.”
Vasquez said the investigation remains open and that additional charges could follow if others are found to have been involved.
“If we determine or find any links, if there are people that can be charged, this office will charge them,” he said.
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