Former student plans to blow up Freedom High School in Tampa, FL

Jared Cano, a 17 year old student who had been expelled from Freedom High School in Tampa, Florida had minute by minute detailed plans to blow up the school laid out in a manifesto written by him. Tuesday police searched the home of Cano after receiving consent from his mother. They found not only the manifesto but also bomb making materials which included plastic tubing, a journal, a fuel source, and shrapnel along with fusing devices and a timer. Police also found he was evidently growing marijuana at his home. Cano evidently had made his detailed plans to cause mass destruction at the school on the first day of classes.

An individual came forward with the information about Jared Cano’s scheme and a journal found in Cano’s home revealed not only his plot but schematic drawings that depict the layout of rooms inside the school. According to Cano he had the intention of doing something even more “spectacular” than the events that occurred at Columbine High School (Columbine, Colorado on April 20, 1999) where twelve students plus a teacher were slain. Cano had been in trouble with the law multiple times and had been arrested as a juvenile for various crimes such as carrying a concealed weapon, burglary, and possession of drugs, although all charges had been dismissed with no further action taken.

Jared Cano now faces multiple felony charges including cultivating marijuana, being in possession of materials to manufacture bombs, drug paraphernalia possession, possession of marijuana, and threats to project, place, or throw a destructive device. On his Facebook page Cano makes several statements along with photos showing him drinking malt liquor while holding a machete and stating a favorite quote “lessons not learned in blood are soon forgotten”. Further claiming he studies “how to grow marijuana (weed)” and attends “University of Marijuana” school. His plans for destruction were quashed, at least for now.