Portland teen charged after high school chemical incident

A 15-year-old student was charged with 19 criminal offenses, including attempted murder and domestic terrorism, after a chemical incident at Benson Polytechnic High School in Portland on September 8. Police and prosecutors announced the charges October 2, saying the student brought chemicals from home and mixed them in the cafeteria. The teenager’s lawyers have denied the allegations. Police said the student inhaled gases from the mixture and was taken to a hospital in critical condition. He survived. Authorities said more than 100 students and staff were assessed after the incident, and seven people received medical care. The school was evacuated while responders addressed the chemical hazard. The charges include 10 counts of attempted aggravated murder, as well as counts of attempted first- and second-degree murder and first- and second-degree domestic terrorism. Other charges relate to the alleged manufacture or possession of a destructive device, possession or use of a weapon, and reckless endangerment. Authorities have not publicly identified the student because he is 15. Police have not officially determined what substances were in the mixture.