Updated 2:40 p.m. Sept. 23 with comments from a State College Area School District spokesperson.
A Mifflin County man who pleaded guilty last month to making violent threats against State College Area High School was sentenced on Monday to time served and probation.
Pending completion of a parole plan, Braeden A. Phillips, 20, will be eligible for release from the Centre County Correctional Facility, where he has been detained without bail for 165 days since his arrest in April. Inmate records showed he was still in custody at the jail as of early Tuesday afternoon.
The plea agreement approved by Judge Brian Marshall on Tuesday morning includes five years of probation with intensive supervision. He will not be permitted to possess weapons or reside where they are present, go within 100 feet of a school or have contact with witnesses. He will also be required to undergo mental health evaluation and follow-up treatment.
Philips pleaded guilty on Aug. 26 to one third-degree felony count of terroristic threats. Charges of conspiracy to commit murder and unlawful possession of a firearm were dropped as part of the plea agreement.
“The security threat our district faced last spring was a serious matter that understandably caused deep concern throughout our community,” a State College Area School District spokesperson said in a statement on Tuesdy. “We are grateful for the response of law enforcement and the collaborative efforts that helped address the situation.”
Phillips was arrested on April 11 after witnesses reported he has spoken of carrying out a mass attack involving guns and explosives at State High on April 21, one day after the 26th anniversary of the massacre at Columbine High School in Colorado.
District Attorney Bernie Cantorna said on Tuesday, however, that the investigation did not find any evidence Phillips was preparing to actually follow through on the threat.
“Mr. Phillips made some really disturbing threats about specifically shooting up the school that caused extreme disruption,” Cantorna said. “The police went out and investigated the specifics of what he said and did not find evidence that he was imminently prepared to do so. Since that was not the case, we evaluated it under the guidelines of an F3 terroristic threats, which is what it is. If you make reckless statements that you’re going to shoot up a school and the school locks itself down, that’s a felony of the third degree. And so we had him plead to what he was guilty of.
“Had we found any evidence that he was prepared to act on what he had said, we wouldn’t be having this conversation.”
Cantorna’s office nearly did not go through with the plea on Tuesday after Phillips remarked that he did not agree with the statement of facts read by the prosecution as part of the colloquy before sentencing. Only after Phillips agreed did sentencing proceed, Cantorna said.
At an April 30 preliminary hearing, a witness testified that Phillips discussed using an AR-style rifle and planting explosives in restrooms in an attack planned for the start of the school day. Three other witnesses also testified that they heard Phillips discuss aspects of the plan, including one who said he showed her a picture of the gun he planned to use.
A search of Phillips’ Milroy home by law enforcement found several shotguns as well as .223 ammo, but not a semi-automatic rifle that would be capable of firing it. Police also did not find the “hit list” referenced by witnesses. When interviewed by investigators, Phillips said he did not have a hit list but did have a “shit list,” Ripka testified.
No bombs, components or instructions for making them, a manifesto or a suicide note were found during the search of Phillips’ residence.
Phillips denied any involvement in a plot, and his attorney, Matt McClenahen repeatedly questioned during the preliminary hearing why the witnesses did not tell police or any other authority figure if they believed he was serious.
“What we have is various young people talking about a hypothetical plot, maybe a fantasy, but nothing overt,” McClenahen said in April. “There never was a plot to attack the school. Never was going to happen. It could not have happened. And we should all be happy about that.”
The investigation is now closed, Cantorna said.
The case led to both temporary and permanent security changes at the high school. In the days after Phillips’ arrest, students were required to go through metal detectors and show school ID at all entrances to the high school and Delta building, a process that led to delayed starts the school day. An extra police presence was also on hand throughout the district.
Since then, the school district has purchased additional metal detectors that can be used “in circumstances when reasonable suspicion is identified,” and during random searches, but they are not being used on a daily basis.
Beginning with the start of the 2025-26 academic year, the district has implemented several enhanced safety measures, including advanced identification systems for students and employees, reinforced entry and access control procedures, additional security screenings and monitoring, improved emergency response protocols and expanded training for staff and security personnel.
“These measures complement our ongoing partnerships with local law enforcement, our School Resource Officers and our professional security team,” the SCASD spokesperson said. “Together, we strive to maintain constant vigilance to protect our school environment.”
Students in grades six through 12 are now required to wear an ID at all times while on school grounds. New IDs that include the student’s preferred name, photo and a QR code that, when scanned, will display the student number were also issued. Students must scan IDs to enter the buildings.
The district also will perform random searches, similar to those used in the spring, at all secondary buildings throughout the school year.
A policy approved by the school board at its July 21 meeting after previous discussion spells out the circumstances for conducting random or general searches, individualized suspicion searches, searches upon consent and searches at the request of law enforcement.
“Our commitment to student safety remains unwavering. We understand that effective learning requires a secure environment where students, families and staff feel confident and protected,” the district spokesperson said. “We will continue to evaluate, adapt and strengthen our security measures to ensure our schools remain safe spaces for education and growth.”
