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Eighth grader faces terrorism charge
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A 14-year-old boy who was arrested by Mesa police after telling them he planned to hold his class hostage is facing a series of charges, including terrorism, and will be tried as an adult, Maricopa County Attorney’s Office announced Monday.
Maricopa County Attorney Andrew Thomas said the boy, an eighth grader at Powell Junior High in Mesa, also was charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and kidnapping, both Class 2 felonies. He also was charged with carrying a weapon on school grounds, a Class 1 misdemeanor, according to information from Thomas’ office.
The Tribune does not typically identify minors who have been charged with crimes.
County officials say that two weeks ago, the boy had plotted a “Columbine-like” scenario, comparing the boy’s plans to the 1999 deadly shooting massacre at Colorado’s Columbine High School.
The boy was arrested by Mesa police on March 23 at his home. Police said they discovered weapons in his blue and silver Champion backpack, including a loaded .25 caliber handgun with a full clip of bullets and one in the chamber, plus a box of bullets with about 28 rounds, said Diana Tapia, spokeswoman for Mesa police.
Police also found three large knives, a Lynx lock, a metal chain and two rolls of duct tape in the backpack, Tapia said.
Police were alerted by a girl who said the boy confronted her with a knife.
Holly Hosac, spokeswoman for Mesa police, said the boy was a good student and apparently had trouble with another boy at school.
Bringing a weapon to school could result in a long-term suspension or expulsion, said Kathy Bareiss, spokeswoman for Mesa Public Schools.
The seriousness of the crimes prompted Thomas’ office to have the boy tried as an adult, according to Barnett Lotstein, spokesman for Thomas.
The case has not been assigned to a Maricopa County Superior Court judge yet, Thomas said.
If convicted of any of the offenses, the boy could face several years in prison, according to Lotstein.
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