Prosecutor: School plot suspect to face WMD charge

CHESTERFIELD, South Carolina (AP) -- The acting U.S. attorney for South Carolina says a teenager accused of planning to bomb his high school will face a federal charge of attempting to use a weapon of mass destruction. The charge carries a possible life sentence.

Prosecutor Kevin McDonald says 18-year-old Ryan Schallenberger also will face two lesser federal charges stemming from his scheme to detonate explosives in a suicide attack on his high school in Chesterfield, in northeastern South Carolina.

The news came less than an hour before Schallenberger was to appear in court for a bail hearing.

Schallenberger was arrested Saturday after his parents called police because their son had ordered 10 pounds of ammonium nitrate, which they retrieved after getting a delivery notice from the postal service, authorities said.

Ammonium nitrate is an explosive commonly used as fertilizer and was employed in the deadly 1995 Oklahoma City bombing. Authorities said Schallenberger bought it on eBay.

Police say they also discovered a hate-filled journal lauding the Columbine killers.

Earlier Monday, McDonald urged that Schallenbeger undergo a mental health evaluation.

The teen's parents had sought help earlier in the week from mental health experts when Schallenberger slammed his head into a wall, but the clinic offered no help, authorities said Monday. His parents took him to a hospital.

Schallenberger was not badly injured, though he made a 4-inch indentation in the wallboard, according to prosecutor Jay Hodge.

A spokesman for the mental health clinic would not confirm or deny any contact with Schallenberger's family, citing state law.

Schallenberger's mother and stepfather probably saved lives at their son's high school, authorities said.

"Without the parents, Chesterfield County would've suffered. We thank them," Sheriff Sam Parker said.

Police said they discovered the teen's journal, an audiotape to be played after Schallenberger died during his rampage and a year's worth of plans for the bombing that included a hand-drawn map of the school.

"He's just a soft-spoken little kid," Hodge said at a hearing Monday, adding that Schallenberger threatened to do something "very violent."

Schallenberger has been charged with making a bomb threat and was expected to be charged Tuesday with possession of bomb-making material, Hodge said.

The teen's assigned attorney, William Spencer, did not return calls from The Associated Press. Watch suspect's brief court appearance »

Schallenberger's mother and stepfather, John and Laurie Sittley, could not be reached for comment. Their phone number was unlisted, they did not attend the hearing, and their home about 10 miles from the school was blocked by "No Trespassing" signs.

Authorities said Schallenberger's journal did not specify targets of an attack or a date that he planned to carry it out. Police Chief Randall Lear said Schallenberger was "just mad at the world."

Authorities checked the school for bombs during the weekend, and students walked through newly installed metal detectors and past law officers on Monday.

Acquaintances said they were surprised by the allegations against the straight-A student.

"He wouldn't hurt a flea," neighbor Carl Parker said. "People just don't know him like I do. He's a good kid."

Students said Schallenberger often ate alone in the cafeteria. "I never thought he'd be the dude to do something like this," said James Ford, a 16-year-old sophomore.

Chesterfield is a town of about 1,500 people in northeastern South Carolina near the North Carolina line. E-mail to a friend

Copyright 2008 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

All About Columbine High School • South Carolina