STATE COLLEGE — A tip, a gun and a plan. That’s what the authorities said they intercepted before a potentially deadly attack on State College Area High School could be carried out.
Braeden Phillips, 20, of Milroy — and formerly of State College — is now sitting in the Centre County Correctional Facility, charged with conspiracy to commit murder and unlawful possession of a firearm in connection with an alleged plot to attack the high school later this month.
This wasn’t just an idle threat muttered in passing. According to a press release on Saturday, April 12, from the State College police, this was a planned act of violence. Police say they were tipped off on Friday, April 11, by a “concerned citizen.”
According to The Gazette’s news partner StateCollege.com, Phillips allegedly told witnesses that the shooting would take place at the main staircase of the high school during what police described as a “high traffic transitional time for students and staff” in the morning and that he planned to place “bombs” in the restrooms.
Witnesses said that Phillips spoke of a “’hit list’ containing the names of multiple targeted individuals,” and he was seen in possession of a Glock-style handgun on two occasions, police wrote.
What followed was a rapid collaboration between investigators, school officials and multiple law enforcement agencies.
Phillips was arraigned Saturday, April 12, by District Judge Casey McClain, who made it clear: Phillips posed an “extreme danger to the community,” and was denied bail.
According to StateCollege.com, in an affidavit of probable cause, witnesses said that Phillips planned the shooting morning of Monday, April 21 — the day after the 26th anniversary of the Columbine High School massacre in Colorado.
The investigation is far from over, however.
“This investigation will continue to ascertain any potential involvement of other individuals,” State College Police Chief John Gardner said.
“There’s information floating out there about other participants. All those things are being investigated and run down. I can’t go into details there, but we are well aware of all the stories that are out there and individuals that may or may not be linked to that, or there may be a nexus to this case. We continue to follow up on the tips and information as they are received. No tip or information is too small that we’re not going to follow up on it.”
Gardner also added that the threat was directed at State High on specific and no other local schools district or countywide were threatened.
Multiple agencies have been involved, including the Centre County District Attorney’s Office, Pennsylvania State Police and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. Federal-level attention isn’t standard in every case, but it usually means authorities are taking no chances.
One witness told police that Phillips stated, “The school did not serve his educational needs and failed him,” according to the affidavit.
StateCollege.com reported on Tuesday, April 15 that a juvenile who police did not name was also mentioned by witnesses as possibly being involved in the plot.
State College Area School District Superintendent Curtis Johnson attempted to reassure the public in an email to families over the weekend, writing, “At this stage of the investigation, police have nothing to indicate that there is an active threat against the school.”
But this wasn’t just a near-miss — it was a wake-up call.
“This illustrates the importance of the ‘See something, say something’ theory,” Johnson stated.
“With the potential threat thwarted, we wish to express our gratitude to our school resource officer, Matt Hertlein, and the State College police for their swift response. School safety is imperative for us. It’s times like this when we must rely on their guidance and expertise, and we are grateful for their partnership.”
According to StateCollege.com, Mayor Ezra Nanes, who has two school aged children, one of which attends State College Area High School, offered similar praises.
“I also am truly and deeply grateful to the State College Police Department and SCASD administration for thwarting a school shooting that was planned for a week from today,” Nanes said.
“Like many families with their kids in State High, in middle school, any school in the area, it was a very hard day to see your child go off to school. I just wanted to acknowledge the pain that everybody’s feeling and again express my gratitude for the professionalism of our police, because it saved lives.”
In response to the recent threat, increased safety measures were implemented by Johnson at the school effective Monday, April 14.
“State High will have metal detectors at main entrances and an increased security presence as precautionary measures. This will involve new procedures for staff members who will be busy making sure that students enter the buildings as quickly and safely as possible.”
In addition to the school implementing the use of metal detectors, there was more security presence and a requirement for students to present their IDs before entering the school. Johnson said students returned to school Monday, April 14,without incident except for a one-hour delay due to the implementation of new procedures. The same procedures were used on Tuesday, April 15.
WPSU reported the total cost for the two gate systems, including installation, was $38,314. The district purchased them using grant funding from the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency.
“We successfully used our metal detectors at each entrance on the State High campus. We want to extend our sincerest gratitude to our students for their patience and to our faculty and staff for their help in expediting the process so that it went smoothly. We also appreciate the State College Police Department for providing an extra security presence on campus and throughout the district,” Johnson said.
In an email to families, faculty and students the afternoon of Tuesday, May 15, Johnson also noted that SCASD was able to borrow three additional metal detectors from Penn State University, which aided in speeding up the process of getting the student into the buildings at State High and Delta.
“While today’s [Tuesday, April 15] entry process went faster, we still were not able to start at our regular time of 8:40 a.m.,” the email explained.
“Additionally, this entry process required a great deal of support. We are grateful for everyone who has happily stepped up to help, including our bus drivers, teachers, counselors, secretaries, custodians, CEEL site supervisors, food service (breakfasts), administrators, security staff and local law enforcement agencies, to name a few. Even though we’ll still need extra assistance, we will utilize the detectors at least through next Monday, April 21, as a precaution.”
The email continued to explain that any student who indicated they missed school on Monday, April 14, due to safety concerns will be given an excused absence with a special “safety code.”
“Looking back on the past two days, I’m truly proud that so many people have pitched in to assist our community. The caring assistance we have received has made a big difference for our students, employees and families. I appreciate everyone’s resilience and courage so far, as this incident has affected all of us,” Johnson concluded in the email.
“I’m confident that, together, we will work through this challenging time because of our community’s incredible strength. As always, we’ll continue to share more when we are able to do so.”
Phillips’s original preliminary hearing was originally scheduled for Wednesday, April 16, and has been continued to Wednesday, April 30, at the request of his attorney.
The Centre County Gazette’s Danielle Blake contributed to this report.
