Herndon, Chantilly Teens Charged in Explosive Device Incident
Fairfax County police say teens allegedly created explosive devices, set them off at a neighborhood playground.
Fifteen teenagers from Herndon and Chantilly have been charged with allegedly manufacturing and using fire bombs in connection with a December incident near a Fairfax County elementary school.
According to a Tuesday release from the Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department, the explosives were reported at 9:15 p.m. Dec. 14 at a neighborhood playground in the 3200 block of Kinross Circle, near Oak Hill Elementary.
Investigators from the Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department, as well as the Fairfax County Police Department and its bomb squad, responded to the incident in the Oak Hill/Franklin Farm neighborhood.
Police were able to render one of the unexploded devices safe at the scene. The device was a plastic two-liter bottle filled with a chemical. The devices the teens made did not cause any injuries or property damage.
The teens were charged with Virginia Fire Code 18.2-85, the manufacturing, possession, and use of fire bombs or explosive materials or devices.
The violation is a Class 5 or Class 6 felony. It's not clear at this time what kind of penalty the teens will face.
Patch will update this story as more information becomes available.
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Bolt Speedman
2:24 pm on Wednesday, February 6, 2013
No one was injured, no property was damaged...... oh yah lets light these kids up with a class 6 Felony and call it a day. Classic Fairfax County police officers/judicial system, nothing better to do. Peace
John Whitten
5:41 pm on Thursday, February 7, 2013
I agree-- in sentiment. But you and I both know that if they'd gone on to blow up the school or something, you'd be calling for the cop's head on a stick for letting them off easy. They can't win, can they?
James
4:52 pm on Wednesday, February 6, 2013
Reminds me when me and some friends as kids mixed styrofoam and gasoline to make something like napalm. Sure wasn't anywhere near a school! Yeesh!
Chantilly Highlander
9:11 am on Thursday, February 7, 2013
You might think differently if it was on your playground that these explosives were being made. What will these kids do unleashed next time if they don't receive some punishment this time.
Holly
11:47 am on Thursday, February 7, 2013
It was a dumb thing to do. They should be soundly punished. But a felony? Maybe we are not getting all the information, but it sounds like a stupid teenage experiment--not an attempt to wound, maim or damage. If you know teenagers of this age, they make very stupid decisions. Hopefully, law enforcement and the courts will treat this appropriately based on motive and outcome.
Luna
6:51 pm on Thursday, February 7, 2013
Parents should be more concern of what their kids are doing
Brian
6:42 pm on Friday, February 8, 2013
Why do you think these kids deserve to be punished so harshly? I happen to live in the neighborhood where these "bombs" were "detonated" and know for a fact that there was no fire involved or intent to damage any property or harm any humans. This article makes these kids look like terrorist. If I was a teenager going through what these kids are going through I'm sure my parents would have put me under house arrest and many restrictions and I'm sure the same holds true for these kids who I bet have learned their lessons, just having to talk to the police probably set them straight. Not saying they didn't make a stupid decision I'm just stating that this day and age people are so stuck up and ignorant, they need to understand that kids will be kids and teens will be teens. Just another classic fairfax county case that has been taken too far. Again not saying they are innocent... But a little extreme.
Courtney
8:00 am on Saturday, February 9, 2013
Brian, how do you know that there was no intent to harm, where you among the group? If this group was so innocent why did they run when the police approached? Yes, parents should always be responsible for punishing their children but they disrupted and endangered the community and owe us a debt too. Remember, Dylan Klebold and Eric Harris started with these types of behaviors. How do we know that these youth don't need additional psychiatric help or haven't been involved in other issues? Stop making excuses for bad behavior and stop minimizing with "kids will be kids" - kids play games, making and detonating explosive devices is not a game.
Brian
6:46 pm on Friday, February 8, 2013
And they certainly should not be deputizing these kids entire futures with a felony charge.
Courtney
7:34 am on Saturday, February 9, 2013
These "kids" jeopardized their future with their actions. Don't make excuses for their behavior. This type of action needs to be dealt with now, when they are juveniles. A felony conviction as an adult is another issue. Generally if these teens don't have other records and keep their noses clean until they are adults this may not have a long term effect. Hopefully the community sending a message that this is NOT tolerated will be far reaching. The youth should be charged under the appropriate statutes and should endure the consequences for their actions. Parents need to be aware of this as well.