Delco Student's Ammo, Military Gear Was Halloween Costume: Lawyer

UPPER DARBY, PA – A foreign exchange student from Taiwan who attends a Delaware County Catholic school is behind bars after allegedly threatening to shoot up the school, according to Upper Darby Police.

An Tso Sun, 18, whose address is listed as Lansdowne but is a Taiwan native in the US on a student visa, has been charged with making terroristic threats with the intent to terrorize others after allegedly making a shooting threat toward Bonner-Pendergrast High School in Drexel Hill, according to court documents.

Upper Darby Police said Sun told a fellow student he was planning to shoot up the school on May 1, but Sun later said he was joking. However, police said Sun also asked that same student how to buy a gun and that Sun had looked up information about weapons such as AK-47 and AR-15 rifles on a school-issued iPad.

He was arrested Tuesday, March 27 and a search warrant was executed at his host family's home.

During the search, police recovered military-style ballistic vest, a high-powered crossbow with arrows, a loading dock for AR-15s and AK-47s, 20 rounds of 9mm ammunition, a backpack with ammo pouches, a strangling device, a military ski mask, ear protectors for shooting, and a box that can be used to make a gun, Upper Darby Police Superintendent Michael Chitwood said in a press conference Wednesday.

Sun's attorney told Philadelphia Magazine some of items found were part of a black ops Halloween costume.

"He had no intentions of committing any kind of mass shooting," the attorney told the outlet.

Chitwood said all the items recovered at the host home are "military style."

"So when you add it all together, it leads us to believe that this individual was possibly planning something in the near future," Chitwood said.

Sun allegedly admitted to police that he did say he was going to shoot up the school but said he was only joking, according to Chitwood.

Chitwood said it's unlikely Sun brought the items to the United States from Taiwan.

Police continue to investigate the incident and have called federal authorities to assist with the case.

Sun is being held in the Delaware County jail on 10 percent of $100,000 bail, court records show.

He is set to appear for a preliminary hearing on April 11.

Image via Upper Darby Police