Ala. sheriff thinks Newtown massacre a factor in teen's alleged plot to bomb classmates

Derek Shrout / WRBL

PHENIX CITY, Ala. An Alabama teenager teen who described himself as a white supremacist made journal entries about a plot to bomb classmates three days after the Newtown school massacre and began building small homemade explosives, a sheriff said Monday.

Russell County Sheriff Heath Taylor told The Associated Press that he believed the shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary was a factor because the first date in the boy's journal describing the plan was Dec. 17 — three days after the Connecticut killings.

Seventeen-year-old Derek Shrout is charged with attempted assault after authorities say he planned to use homemade explosives to attack fellow students at Russell County High School.

Taylor said the boy told investigators that he's a white supremacist and five of the six students he named in his journal are black. The journal was found by a teacher, who turned it over to authorities.

A search of Shrout's home found about 25 small tobacco cans and two larger tins, all with holes drilled in them and containing pellets similar to BB's, reported CBS affiliate WRBL. Taylor said all they needed were black powder and fuses to become explosives. The journal also allegedly mentioned using firearms. The sheriff said Shrout's father owned a few household weapons, like a hunting rifle, a shotgun and a handgun.

"He just talks about some students, he specifically named six students and one faculty member and he talked about weapons and the amounts of ammunition for each weapon that he would use if he attacked the school," Taylor said.

The sheriff said he didn't believe the teen's initial claim that the journal was a work of fiction.

"When you go to his house and you start finding the actual devices that he talked about being made, no, it's not fiction anymore," Taylor said. "Those devices were — all they needed was the black powder and the fuse — he had put a lot of time and thought into that."

The teen, who is thin and wears glasses, said little during an initial court appearance Monday. District Judge David Johnson set bond at $75,000 and the teen's attorney said the family expected to post it by the end of the day for his release.

The judge ordered the teen not to contact anyone at his school, students or teachers, and not to use the Internet without parental supervision.

His attorney, Jeremy Armstrong, declined to discuss specifics of the case, but he did say that the talk of the case he has heard so far was "blown a little out of proportion."

"Our position is that our client had no intention to harm anybody," he said.

Seale is about 80 miles east of Montgomery.

More from CBS affiliate WRBL:

[Type_Z]

Now what. He made credible threats, teacher did the right thing, investigators did the right thing. Clearly the evidence is there. He needs specialized treatment and evaluation to determine if he is safe to be in society. Tough situation. This is where our Dr.s and science needs to help and step in.

Personally, I'm thankful to hear people doing the right thing and tradgety was averted. Thank God. I don't know what they do now. But people followed their instinct, they did not keep quiet. They did the right thing.

[1pheasant1]

ppenguin95 replies:
...just like with the tragic attack in CT (where he used handguns...).
______________________________________________________________
Really?

[democracy8]

People like this make me want to puke.

[1pheasant1]

Current law doesn't allow us law abiding citizens to build and possess explosives, therefore only the law breakers have them. I feel so vulnerable. The 2nd Amendment says I can have them, too. This is an outrage!

[Tank_Commander]

Time for congress to pass some "bomb control" legislation! That will stop 'em.

[gypsyswede]

An Alabama Sheriff that thinks? Isn't that one of those oxymorons, or is it just a regular moron?

[SINGLEANDOVERTAXED]

I'm sure his attorney will say he wasn't hugged enough as a child...

[nativecc]

Time to censor the web I guess

[modeloman]

more loveable right wingers

[hercsurf1]

lol without parental supervision.. because he had so much of that before-hand. Being that he had bomb making equipment in his room and was a white supremist...Im thinking perhaps his parents are the best people to oversee his internet activity.

[1surething]

"he had bomb making equipment in his room"

Ban snuff cans and ball bearings.