Thwarted Bomb Plot Won't Delay Freedom High School's Year

(Editor's note: This story was updated at 4:40 p.m.)

Despite news of a thwarted attack on Freedom High School planned for the first day of class, administrators have decided the show must go on.

The school will throw open its doors to students for the first day of the 2011-12 school-year on Tuesday, Aug. 23 – just as originally scheduled. And an Open House this evening, Aug. 18, still drew parents and students alike.

Expelled Freedom student Jared Cano, 17, was arrested and charged this week with threatening to bomb his former educational facility. Authorities found bomb-making materials and a diary with “minute-by-minute” details for wreaking havoc on the first day of school. It is believed he was acting alone.

Such news would understandably have many parents and students on edge. But not rising senior Matt O’Neill.

"I trust the police," he said while walking to the Open House this evening. "I think they did their job."

O'Neill, 17, said he is still trying to digest the news of the arrest of Cano - a fellow student in his freshman year semantics and logic class.

"It's pretty crazy," he said, but also adding that he does believe Cano would be capable of carrying out such a heinous plan. O'Neill said he remembers Cano showing up to class late and getting in trouble frequently.

Police officers were a steady presence at Freedom High School throughout the day and district and school officials are taking steps to reassure the community.

First-Day Concerns?

Hillsborough County School District spokeswoman Linda Cobbe said the additional officers will be on scene next week for the first day of school, which is typical for opening days.

“Freedom has a team made up of their guidance counselors, nurse, social workers, and psychologists who will be ready to talk with students,” Cobbe added. “If they think it's necessary after assessing the students' frame of mind, they will call in the district crisis team.”

The district’s Crisis Intervention Team is meant to provide short-term assistance to schools on an as-needed basis. It is comprised of social workers, psychologists and health nurses.

According to the district’s Website, the crisis team may provide services such as individual and group counseling, group presentations and consultation with administrators, community groups and families.

The team is brought in to handle "events such as a death of a student or staff member, natural disaster, and other traumatic events that impact the school community," according to the Website.

Police say Cano was hoping to carry out a hugely traumatic event. An unnamed tipster led them to Cano's home at the Cypress Run apartment complex where they found shrapnel, plastic tubing, as well as timing and fusing devices - all enough to kill "multiple people."

Cano, who was taken to the Juvenile Assessment Center after his arrest, was also cultivating marijuana in his room. 

It is unclear whether or not the State Attorney's office will charge him as an adult. Spokesman Mark Cox said officials are reviewing the case file and it could take weeks to make a decision.

Cox could not speak about Cano specifically but said when deciding whether or not to charge someone as an adult, officials typically consider the facts of the case, a person's background and their age.

Additional Links

• Check out Jared Cano's Facebook page.
• Read Patch's original arrest story here.