DOUGLAS COUNTY, Colo. — A 15-year-old boy was charged in Douglas County after he allegedly brought an explosive device to school earlier this month.
At 9:30 a.m. on March 4, the school resource officer (SRO) at Ponderosa High School was informed that a student may have brought a suspicious device in a backpack to school. The SRO quickly located and detained both the student and the backpack.
Following the discovery, the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office Bomb Squad was called to the scene to examine the item, prompting the school to be evacuated. After evaluation, authorities confirmed that the device was indeed some form of explosive, as stated by deputies later that same day.
The incident led to a mandatory evacuation of the high school, lasting over two hours, while deputies and the sheriff’s office conducted a thorough search of the premises. Fortunately, no injuries were reported, and no additional devices were found within the school.
The boy, who is not being identified because he is a juvenile, was charged in the 23rd Judicial District with attempted murder after deliberation, attempted first-degree assault – extreme indifference, manufacturing an explosive or incendiary device, possession of an explosive or incendiary device, and interference with a school – credible threat. The first four charges are felonies, while the last charge is a misdemeanor. He also faces two sentence enhancers: aggravated juvenile offender and violent juvenile offender.
Ponderosa High School, part of the Douglas County School District, is located at 7007 Bayou Gulch Road outside the town of Parker.
