Alleged bomb plot foiled at Springbrook High School

 

Police say two Springbrook High School students plotted to set off explosives in the Silver Spring school, assault a school counselor and principal and set off an explosion using the school's natural gas lines, after allegedly sending the school a threatening e-mail on April 20, the 10-year anniversary of the massacre at Columbine High School.

Springbrook juniors Yonata Getachew, 18, of the 11500 block of Sutherland Way in Silver Spring and Anthony Nelson Torrence, 17, of the 13500 block of Greencastle Ridge Terrace of Burtonsville were arrested Tuesday night and charged with conspiracy to commit first-degree murder, three counts of first-degree arson, one count of reckless endangerment and one count of conspiracy to manufacture or possess a destructive device.

Both are being held without bond at the Montgomery County Detention Center in Rockville. Torrence and Getachew have a bond review scheduled for 1:30 p.m. Thursday at the Montgomery County District Courthouse in Rockville.

Police responded to the school 12:30 p.m. Tuesday for the report of an attempted arson in the boys' locker room of the school and stopped Torrence as he was leaving the building, police said.

Getachew and Torrence allegedly attempted to set several fires over the past three weeks and plotted to assault a school counselor and the school's principal Michael Durso with explosive devices, police learned through the investigation and a conversation Torrence had with Officer Rodney Barnes, the Springbrook Cluster's educational facilities officer.

Because they were small paper fires, the fires had not been detected, said Lt. Paul Starks, a police spokesman. Starks alleged that the two students were testing how long they could set a small fire and had planned to eventually find the natural gas lines to the building, open them up and cause a bigger explosion.

Barnes said a threatening e-mail was sent to Springbrook High School before classes began on April 20 but would not disclose any details. That day was the 10th anniversary of the massacre at Columbine High School in Colorado, where two gunmen killed 13 people and took their own lives.

Barnes said police response "was tempered with that in my mind," and the school was scanned for suspicious activity before class begun that day.

"The anniversary, we gave it more than a passing nod," Barnes said in a phone interview Wednesday.

Durso said the alleged assassination attempt was "a pretty serious situation" that the school's security team and Barnes handled appropriately. He said he felt the threat had passed and didn't see any need to close the school Wednesday.

"If you closed the school every time there was a safety concern, you could close the school a lot," Durso said.

Detectives on Tuesday night searched the homes of Getachew and Torrence and allegedly found chemicals used in making chemical reaction bombs, including flammable liquids, a carbon dioxide cartridge, nails, balloons, homemade wicks and fireworks, the release said. Detectives also allegedly found written plans outlining the physical design of the school and preparations to execute the plan, the release said.

Police said the students had planned to throw an explosive device into the principal's office, which would shoot out nails once it exploded. They also allegedly planned to throw a bag of nails and rocks at a female counselor.

Getachew was arrested at his home Tuesday night. Starks said police do not suspect there are other co-conspirators but the investigation is continuing.

"There have been little things throughout the school year and this has begun to tie things [together]," said Barnes, who has been patrolling Springbrook for four and a half years. "It wasn't something over the last couple weeks."

Barnes said the six-person security team at Springbrook knew the two students had been frequently truant and Getachew left school Tuesday without being apprehended. Barnes stopped Torrence, who he had known previously as "not a bad kid," and said he had an "alarming" conversation with him, where Torrence allegedly disclosed their plans.

"Everything took off running from there," said Barnes, who then contacted county detectives.

Reached by phone at her home Wednesday, Torrence's mother Andrea deferred comment to her son's lawyer, Rockville-based Charles Lazar.

"At this time I have not been fully apprised of the facts in this case other than my client is held without bail," Lazar said early Wednesday afternoon.

Durso said the two students have been suspended from Springbrook and are recommended for expulsion. He said expulsion hearings will take place separately from criminal proceedings.

At a press conference at police headquarters in Rockville, Montgomery County Public Schools Superintendent Jerry D. Weast said Durso handled the situation in "a very admirable way" and reassured the school community that the school is safe.

"Let me assure you that we will pursue and cooperate to the fullest extent possible to get the bottom of any all and leads because student safety is our primary purpose," he said. "Let us assure our parents and other students that schools are safe and will be safe."

Springbrook faculty and students on Wednesday afternoon said they were shocked but did not fear for their safety. Students said teachers spoke briefly with them about the incident in class Wednesday, and Durso said he sent home a short letter to parents acknowledging a "serious situation that is under investigation."

Wyman Jones, the school's band director, said he is in "complete shock." While he noted that incidents like these are rare in Montgomery County, Jones said school violence is becoming more common.

"I don't think this is an isolated incident at Springbrook, I think this a community-wide type of situation that we really have got to pay close attention to," he said.

Jones said he believes teachers have to pay close attention to what students say and do to keep the schools safe while balancing their task as role models.

"Most of the students here at this school understand why the teachers are here, and that's to help them," he said. "As a teacher I can't come to work in fear."

English teacher Sarah Kinard said Springbrook is generally a safe school.

"It's something we never thought some of our students could do," Kinard said.

Sophomore Kevin Lee echoed Kinard, saying there are rarely fights or other incidences of violence at the school.

"I didn't expect it to be Springbrook," he added.

But junior Victor Thao said Springbrook is not unlike other schools with a mix of students. Some, he said, are inclined to violence.

"No matter how good the school is, there's always going to be bad students," he said.

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