Phoenix high school student accused of threatening to bomb a mosque
Apr 23, 2019, 6:35 PM
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PHOENIX – Phoenix police took a high school student into custody Tuesday after he allegedly threatened to blow up a mosque and then showed up on campus with a white powdery substance.
The substance was determined to be potassium nitrate, which isn’t dangerous alone but can “create a flash powder” when mixed with other chemicals, Sgt. Tommy Thompson said in an email.
On Monday, a classmate at Pinnacle High School in north Phoenix reported to police that the 15-year-old suspect said he wanted to “blow up a Muslim church,” Thompson said.
When he saw the suspect with the white powder Tuesday, he reported it at the school office.
School staff brought the suspect with the substance to the administration building at around noon and called police, who took the boy in for questioning.
No threat was made against the school, Thompson said, and no students were in danger. The school was not locked down.
No other information was immediately available.