Two teens receive serious charges

An 8th grade and a 7th grade student at Toano Middle School in James City County were charged with attempted malicious wounding after an investigation by law enforcement officials revealed that they intended to lure a student into a school bathroom and stab him.

The 8th grader was also charged with threats to burn a building, burning or destroying a dwelling, manufacture, possession of a fire bomb or explosive device, possession of a weapon on school property, petit larceny.

According to James City County police, the 8th grader was reported to have had a knife in the school bathroom on January 15. Investigators say he and the 7th grader were trying to lure another student into the bathroom. James City County Fire Chief Bob Ryalls told WAVY.com, "they were planning to assault - or do bodily harm to another student."

Another child alerted the school resource officer who went into the bathroom and confiscated the knife. No one was injured.

On January 28, the 8th grader was reported to the police as a "runaway." Police received information he might have had an explosive device. The Virginia State Police Bomb Squad and the James CIty County Fire Marshal's office went to his home. A joint news release from local police and fire investigators said the 13 year old had hidden the pieces of an explosive device in a suitcase, but did not assemble it.

Internet search information taken from a laptop computer showed the 8th grader had searched the following terms:

• "how to kill someone with a knife"
• "disposing of a body"
• "how to kill someone without getting caught"
• "Columbine"
• "Waco"
• "Oklahoma City Bombing"
• "Toano Middle School"

The 8th graders is in custody at a detention center in Williamsburg.

Williamsburg James City County Public Schools spokesman, Greg Davy told WAVY.com neither child will be back in school.

Ryalls and Davy said that aside from the attempt in the bathroom, they do not believe Toano Middle School students were in immediate danger. Davy said that as far as evidence "of any other potential threat to the school - there was no real, true link."