Springbrook High School students, Anthony Torrence, 17, and Yonata Getachew, 18, have been charged with alleged plots to commit first-degree murder, three counts of arson and conspiracy to use a destructive device.

The two students were suspiciously seen skipping class April 28. This somewhat standard event took a surprising turn when Torrence asked to speak with the police officer at the high school and voluntarily divulged their plan.

According to a May 1 Washington Post article, the students were planning on killing Springbrook Principal Michael Durso with a nail-filled bomb and beating a guidance counselor to death with a bag of rocks. The students also planned to cut the gas line and set off an explosion in the school.

According to the Washington Post, Getachew “hated” a specific guidance counselor and resented Durso because he supported the guidance counselor.

When officers searched the students’ homes they found chemicals used to make chemical reaction bombs, flammable liquids, nails, balloons, homemade wicks, a carbon dioxide cartridge, a physical design of the school and plans in preparation for their attack

“[The students are] currently detained in Montgomery County [jail] facilities,” Durso said.

Preventing a situation like this is not easy. In this case, they were lucky that Torrence came forward.

In a similar incident, at Whitman High School, a backpack was left on school property Friday afternoon April 25 which led to a bomb scare causing students to evacuate during the SAT, according to The Black and White the bomb squad came to the school and had a bomb-detaining robot destroy the bag. Police thought that maybe the bag was placed there by one of the Westboro protestors, who were protesting the school’s name earlier that week.