Oregon Live – by Nicole Dungca, The Oregonian
The 17-year-old student accused by officials this week of planning to detonate bombs at West Albany High School will be charged as an adult on suspicion of attempted aggravated murder, according to Benton County District Attorney John Haroldson.
Grant Alan Acord was arrested Thursday night on two counts of possession of a destructive device and two counts of manufacture of a destructive device after police received a tip.
Officials suspect Acord had hoped to carry out a plan inspired by the 1999 Columbine High School shooting, according to Haroldson, who announced the charges at a Saturday press conference in front of the Benton County Courthouse.
Though Acord is a juvenile, The Oregonian is naming him due to the nature of the charges. Under Measure 11, juvenile defendants over 15 years old charged with attempted aggravated murder must stand trial in adult court.
Evidence suggests Acord had concocted a very deliberate plot that included a timeline and a checklist, according to Haroldson. Authorities had recovered at least six bombs they suspect Acord created, said Haroldson, including pipe bombs, a napalm bomb, Molotov cocktails and a bomb made with drain cleaner.
The bombs had been hidden in a secret compartment within the floorboards of his bedroom at his mother’s house, Haroldson said.
“This was a very methodical process,” he said. “He took time to even get to this point.”
The attempted aggravated murder charges stem from the evidence they gathered, Haroldson said, which help show “intent and plans to carry out a deadly assault on a target-rich environment.”
He did not suspect Acord had a clear-cut motive, such as targeting a specific person for revenge.
Haroldson expects Acord to be arraigned on the charges Tuesday in Benton County Circuit Court. He will also face charges of manufacturing and possessing a destructive device, as well as unlawful possession of a weapon with intent to use against another person.
Acord was arrested on Thursday at his home on the 2400 block of N.W. Violet Street, according to Albany Police. Members of the Oregon State Police Explosives Unit recovered evidence the following day from his mother’s home on the 2600 block of N.W. Raymond Court.
Since the incident came to light, Albany Police completed two sweeps of West Albany High School and have determined the building is safe, according to Haroldson.
What anti-psychotic anti-depressants was he taking?
We’ll probably soon discover that he had help. I’m sure there was an FBI man somewhere who convinced him he should do this, because it serves several purposes.
They get a “domestic terrorist” headline out of the deal, and a good-looking boy to play with for a decade or so. They’ll let him out of jail when he’s not so cute anymore.
This should be a warning to everyone NOT to do anything stupid (as if there were a snowball’s chance in hell of humans not doing stupid things). Every time someone breaks the law in their pursuit of freedom, they get another headline that justifies more surveillance, more laws, and more crack-downs. We don’t need to build bombs. They only end up working for the other side.