A 15-year-old Cottonwood boy who was found guilty of plotting a bomb attack on Evergreen School in Cottonwood has been sentenced to four years in a Secure Youth Treatment facility with a maximum time of confinement of up to seven years.
The teen was found guilty in Tehama County Juvenile Court of three felony charges – attempted first degree murder in that the attempted murder was willful, deliberate and premeditated; possession of materials with the intent to construct a destructive device; and possession of a destructive device, reported the Tehama County District Attorney’s Office.
The verdict and sentencing was presided over by Tehama County Superior Court Judge Laura Woods.
Tehama County District Attorney Matt Rogers explained, juveniles who are too young to be tried as adults, as in this case, may be incarcerated in a Secure Youth Treatment Facility, which is equivalent to a prison sentence served in juvenile hall. Per state law, the maximum time of confinement for a juvenile convicted of attempted murder is five years, with the shortest term being three years.
“Put simply, the minor may be incarcerated for up to seven years depending on his level of cooperation and rehabilitation in Secure Youth Treatment,” Rogers said. “The minor will return to court every six months in order to evaluate his progress in Secure Youth Treatment. We are relieved that the minor was sentenced to a lengthy term. The sentence ensures the safety of the public and we hope that the public can breathe a little easier knowing that this minor will be locked up for a substantial amount of time.”
According to the District Attorney’s Office, the 15-year-old and a 14-year-old boy co-conspired in planning the attack on Evergreen Middle School.
However, the potential attack on the school was averted thanks to an online gamer from Tennessee who alerted law enforcement of the planned attack after one of the teen suspects he was playing online games with allegedly discussed the school attack, sharing a manifesto and sending photos mimicking the Columbine shooters.
Detectives from the Tehama County Major Crimes Unit were called in and took over the investigation. On May 11, investigators served a series of search warrants on the suspects’ homes off of Bowman Road and Lake California areas. Investigators found evidence to substantiate the claims made by the reporting party.
After the suspects were arrested they were booked into the Tehama County Juvenile Justice Center on suspicion of making criminal threats, possession of a destructive device, manufacturing a destructive device and conspiracy to commit a felony.
During the investigation, Tehama County Sheriff Dave Kain said the juveniles had built and tested two improvised explosive devices in preparation to use in the attack on the school. He said the suspects were hopeful to amass a casualty count of over 100 individuals.
He also revealed it was determined during the investigation the pair of suspects intended to murder one of their sets of parents before engaging in the school attack.
The other teen accused of participating in the attack on the school has also been charged with similar allegations and returns to court at 10 a.m. on Aug. 5as well. A contested jurisdictional hearing has not yet been set in that case.