Prosecutors allege the 15-year-old intentionally released hazardous gases inside Benson Polytechnic High School, where more than 100 people were evaluated.
PORTLAND, Ore. — A 15-year-old student faces 19 criminal charges, including attempted aggravated murder and domestic terrorism, after authorities alleged he brought chemicals from home and mixed them inside the cafeteria at Benson Polytechnic High School last month.
The charges announced Oct. 2 stem from a Sept. 8 incident that forced the Portland school to evacuate and sent the teenager to a hospital in critical condition. Authorities said at least seven students and staff later required medical care, while emergency personnel evaluated more than 100 people. Prosecutors are seeking to have the teenager tried as an adult. His name is being withheld because he is a minor and has not been convicted.
Portland Fire & Rescue and police were called to the school at about 8:30 a.m. after receiving a report of a student suffering a medical emergency. School employees were tending to the teenager in the cafeteria when first responders arrived. Police initially believed he had swallowed a chemical mixture but later said investigators determined he became critically ill after inhaling gases produced when chemicals he had brought from home were mixed.
The teenager faces 10 counts of attempted aggravated murder, one count of attempted first-degree murder and one count of attempted second-degree murder, according to reporting based on court records. The remaining charges include first- and second-degree domestic terrorism, offenses involving an alleged destructive device, possession of a weapon in a public building, unlawful use of a weapon and reckless endangering.
The charges are allegations, and prosecutors must prove them in court. Multnomah County District Attorney Nathan Vasquez said his office intends to seek adult prosecution. The case began in juvenile court because of the defendant’s age, and the process for determining whether he will ultimately face the case as an adult remains pending.
Deputy District Attorney Eric Zimmerman told the court that surveillance footage and evidence collected during the investigation led prosecutors to believe the chemical release was intentional. According to prosecutors, video showed the teenager arriving at school wearing gloves and dark clothing and handling a container in the cafeteria. Investigators later searched his home and seized chemicals, electronic devices and other materials for examination.
Police have not publicly released a complete technical account of the chemical reaction. News reports citing investigators identified hazardous gases involved in the incident, but officials have continued analyzing evidence from the school and the teenager’s home. Authorities have said the investigation included interviews, surveillance footage, social media accounts, search warrants and examination of electronic devices.
Prosecutors also told the court that investigators found online material and documents they believe showed an interest in violence and hazardous substances. Zimmerman said the FBI was reviewing electronic devices and papers that included references to “764,” a violent extremist network that federal authorities have investigated in other cases. Investigators have not publicly established that the teenager was a member of the network, and any alleged connection remains part of the ongoing investigation.
Portland Police Bureau Assistant Chief Franz Schoening said authorities were examining what warning signs may have existed before the incident. Police, the FBI, federal firearms and explosives investigators and other agencies participated in the investigation after the school evacuation. Officials have said they believe the teenager acted alone and have not announced evidence of an ongoing threat to the broader school community.
The Sept. 8 incident began as a medical emergency rather than an active criminal investigation. School staff provided emergency aid to the teenager until firefighters and paramedics arrived. Students and employees were moved to nearby athletic fields while hazardous-materials crews worked inside the building. The teenager survived after being hospitalized in critical condition.
Defense attorney Norah Van Dusen told the court that the teenager needs intensive psychiatric treatment and presented letters from medical professionals supporting continued care at a secure treatment facility. His attorneys emphasized that he has no prior court history, has family support and had voluntarily appeared for court proceedings. The defense has not conceded prosecutors’ broader allegations about his intent or the evidence collected during the investigation.
A juvenile court judge allowed the teenager to be released to his father with the expectation that he immediately return to a secure inpatient treatment program. Prosecutors opposed that decision and sought reconsideration, arguing that the seriousness of the charges and the continuing investigation warranted detention. A rehearing before a circuit court judge was scheduled for Tuesday.
Portland Public Schools said it was cooperating with police and prosecutors while providing additional support to Benson students and staff. The district said the investigation had caused renewed concern within the school community and made trauma-support services available. School officials said they would continue reviewing emergency procedures and sharing information affecting campus operations.
The investigation remains active as authorities examine seized records and electronic evidence and prosecutors pursue the 19 charges. The teenager has not been convicted, and questions about whether he will be prosecuted as an adult, where he will remain during the case and the full circumstances surrounding the chemical release have not yet been resolved.
Author note: Last updated October 4, 2026.