Portland Teen Charged in School Chemical Scare Case

A chemical incident at Benson Polytechnic High School in Portland has grown into a major criminal case, with a 15-year-old student now accused of domestic terrorism and multiple attempted murder offenses. Prosecutors say the teenager brought chemicals from home and mixed them inside the school cafeteria on Sept. 8, releasing toxic gases while students and staff were nearby.

The student, whose name has not been released because he is a minor, faces 19 criminal counts. According to authorities, those charges include 10 counts of attempted aggravated murder, one count of attempted first-degree murder, one count of attempted second-degree murder, one count of first-degree domestic terrorism and one count of second-degree domestic terrorism. He is also charged with unlawfully manufacturing and possessing a destructive device, possessing a weapon in a public building, unlawfully using a weapon and recklessly endangering another person.

Multnomah County District Attorney Nathan Vasquez said during an Oct. 2 news conference that school safety cannot be treated as negotiable. He said violence or even the threat of violence inside a school extends beyond campus, affecting families long after the immediate danger has passed.

Investigators said they uncovered what Portland Police Bureau Public Information Manager Mike Benner described as concerning behaviors and statements before the incident. Those findings included an interest in hazardous chemicals, explosives and violence.

Emergency response at the school

Authorities said the incident happened shortly before 8:30 a.m., when numerous students and staff members were near the teenager. Assistant Chief of Investigations Franz Schoening said teachers and administrators quickly moved students away from the area while the school nurse began treating the student before first responders arrived.

The teen was taken to a hospital in critical condition and survived. Schoening said those early actions by school staff were crucial in limiting the harm. More than 100 students and staff were evaluated after the evacuation, and at least seven people required medical care.

Sgt. Jim DeFrain, who oversees the investigation and the Metropolitan Explosive Disposal Unit, said initial testing indicated the presence of hydrogen sulfide, a toxic gas. An Oregon National Guard team agreed with that preliminary assessment. Samples were sent to an FBI laboratory for additional testing, and those results were still pending at the time of the briefing. The FBI was also reviewing electronic equipment seized during searches.

Case could move to adult court

The teenager’s lawyers have denied the allegations. According to The New York Times, they said he is receiving treatment at an inpatient mental health facility.

Vasquez said his office plans to seek a transfer of the case from juvenile court to adult court, arguing that the seriousness of the allegations and the need to protect students and staff justify that step. He also criticized Oregon’s juvenile justice framework more broadly, saying it is flawed because oversight ends at age 25 even if a person may still pose a public safety risk.

He said his office is focused on the conduct alleged in this case and on what is necessary to keep the community safe going forward. Vasquez added that the investigation remains active and that anyone else found to have criminal involvement could also face charges.

For now, the case stands as one of the most serious school-related prosecutions in Portland in recent memory, combining allegations of toxic chemical exposure, terrorism and attempted murder. Authorities have made clear that both the criminal case and the forensic investigation are still developing.