Maryland teen planned violent attack at her school, authorities say

THURMONT, Md. – A shotgun, ammunition and bomb-making materials were found at the Maryland home of an 18-year-old student planning an attack at her high school, authorities announced Monday.

One of the teen’s parents notified Catoctin High School officials Thursday of a potential threat of violence and Nichole Cevario, of Thurmont, was removed from the classroom and turned over to investigators, the Frederick County sheriff’s office said in a statement. Cevario was later taken from the school to a hospital for an emergency evaluation and remains hospitalized, officials said.

Cevario’s journal “clearly spelled out” detailed plans for an attack she had been working on for some time, including a timeline of the attack with her expectations for each stage, officials said. She had set a date in April and planned to die on that day. She was acquiring the materials and compiling details about school emergency procedures associated with drills conducted by school staff and on the school resource deputy.

Investigators don’t believe anyone was working with Cevario and they think they’ve eliminated any threat to the school and community, officials said. While explosive materials were located during the investigation, they weren’t combined in any form that created an explosive device.

Investigators have obtained an arrest warrant charging 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. They say the warrants will be served when she is released from the hospital.

A man who answered the phone at Cevario’s home and her attorney, Alan Winik, declined to comment.

“The sheriff’s office is extremely appreciative of the parent’s actions in bringing this potentially deadly incident to the proper authority’s attention, promptly, so that a positive conclusion could be achieved,” the sheriff’s office said in a statement. “They absolutely did the right thing and have been extremely cooperative throughout the entire investigation.”