Tampa school plot foiled
Jared Cano (R) is led out of the courtroom after appearing before judge Tracy Sheehan in the Hillsborough County, Florida Courthouse Annex August 17, 2011. Florida police on Wednesday said they had uncovered a plot by the 17-year-old Cano to attack and cause mass casualties at his former school, Freedom High School, in Orlando after arresting him and discovering bomb-making material at his home. Reuters/Cherie Diez-St. Peters

Tampa police arrested an expelled student who they suspected was preparing to carry out a catastrophic attack on a Tampa High School after bomb-making materials were found in his home.

"We were probably able to thwart a potentially catastrophic event the likes of which the city of Tampa has not seen," Tampa Police Chief Jane Castor told a news conference.

According to Castor, Jared Cano, 17, had threatened to plant a device at Freedom High School and discharge it on the first day of school. The teenager was arrested after the police were informed of the plot. They have not yet disclosed who tipped them off.

The police found pipe bombs, shrapnel, plastic tubing and fusing devices upon searching the suspect's house, which was consented by Cano's mother. Journals containing drawing and passages expressing his intent to kill were also discovered by police.

Cano was charged with threatening to throw, project, place or discharge a destructive device, possession of bomb-making materials and cultivation of marijuana in his room. According to the St. Petersburg Times the teenager admitted that he had planned to bomb the school.

Castor said the minute-by-minute plan to bomb the school included his intent to cause more casualties than the 1999 Columbine High School massacre that resulted in the deaths of 13 people before the two shooters killed themselves, NPR reported.

Authorities have confirmed that Cano has had multiple juvenile arrests including burglary, carrying a concealed weapon, altering serial numbers on a firearm and drug possession.

On Sunday the suspect posted on his Facebook status: "The weirdest thing happened today ... when my homie was trying to connect to a wireless network the connections list came up and one of them was called: FBI_SURVEILLANCE_VAN... It was weird...," USA Today reported.

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