ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Friday, March 8, 1996 TAG: 9603080080
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C1 EDITION: METRO
DATELINE: FLOYD
SOURCE: KATHY LOAN STAFF WRITER
Two Floyd County High School students face felony charges after being accused of setting off a homemade bomb Tuesday in a toilet in the boys' locker room.
Principal Norman Blanchard said the two boys have been suspended for 10 days. "It was dangerous, and it should be treated seriously - and it will be," he said.
Blanchard seemed surprised by media curiosity about the event, saying school officials would characterize the explosive device as a firecracker. Commonwealth's Attorney Gino Williams sees it differently.
"Regardless of how the school deals with it, I see it as much more serious" than a firecracker, Williams said Thursday afternoon.
"It was not a firecracker. ... It was an explosive device, and clearly it meets the definition under the state code" of a bomb, he said.
Williams was not sure how much kick the device had, but said "obviously it must have had some impact, or it wouldn't have damaged the toilet."
Although no one was hurt, Williams said the potential was there. The device could have gone off in the boys' hands, or porcelain shrapnel could have hurt someone.
Williams said authorities plan to obtain juvenile petitions charging the boys with manufacturing or possessing an explosive device, a felony.
"It's fairly obvious you can't have people blowing things up," he said.
LENGTH: Short : 35 linesby CNB