A Thurmont, Md., father discovered his 18-year-old daughter was planning to bomb and shoot up her high school after reading her diary, according to local reports.
Honor roll student Nichole Cevario, 18, bought a shotgun and bomb-making materials in preparation for the attack, which was planned for April 5. It is unclear if the date had any special significance, or what Cevario’s motivations were, but her diary showed she had meticulously planned out the attack.
Cevario’s father alerted the Catoctin High School of the plot after reading the diary. Hours later, she was removed from her classroom and taken to the hospital for psychological evaluation.
“We felt this was going to be carried out,” said Frederick County Sheriff Charles A. Jenkins at a news conference. “There is no doubt in our minds that we diverted a disaster up there.”
Investigators recovered this shotgun and these materials, to make pipe bombs, from Nichole Cevario’s Thurmont home. @wusa9 pic.twitter.com/Tc8yMzZp6U
— Stephanie Gailhard (@stephitv) March 27, 2017
Cevario reportedly obtained her weapon and materials legally, according to the sheriff’s office. Her arsenal included a 12-gauge Remington shotgun, ammunition, pipes with end caps, shrapnel, fireworks, magnesium tape and fuse materials.
The diary revealed that Cevario had gathered information on the school’s emergency procedures and its assigned school resource deputy sheriff.
“The journal was very detailed, including a time line that revealed how she was going to execute the plot, and her expectations at each stage of the event,” said police.
Police also said Cevario had acted alone in her plot.
Authorities plan to charge Cevario with possession of explosive material with intent to create a destructive device and possession of incendiary material with the intent to create a destructive device after she is released from the hospital. The charges carry a possible 25-year prison sentence.
Send tips to russ@dailycallernewsfoundation.org.
All content created by the Daily Caller News Foundation, an independent and nonpartisan newswire service, is available without charge to any legitimate news publisher that can provide a large audience. All republished articles must include our logo, our reporter’s byline and their DCNF affiliation. For any questions about our guidelines or partnering with us, please contact licensing@dailycallernewsfoundation.org.