A 15-year-old Oregon high school student is facing 19 criminal counts, including attempted murder and domestic terrorism, after creating a chemical scare in the school cafeteria that left him in critical condition.
Police say the teenager brought dangerous chemicals from home and mixed them in the cafeteria, intentionally releasing toxic gases that endangered students and staff. He inhaled them and was critically injured, although later recovered, police said.
The substances have not been identified and are being investigated, police said. One hundred staff and students sought medical assessment afterward and seven required care, the New York Times reported.
Authorities said they uncovered concerning behaviors and statements before the incident, including an interest in hazardous chemicals and violence.
The teen's lawyers deny the allegations, and said he is receiving treatment at a mental health facility.
"Safety in our schools is not something that can be negotiated," Multnomah County District Attorney Nathan Vasquez said during an Oct. 2 news conference. "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."
The case may be moved from juvenile court to adult court, with the defense pushing for it to remain in the juvenile system while the prosecutor points out Oregon's juvenile system ends oversight at age 25 for people convicted as a juvenile.
