Two 18-year-olds are facing multiple felony charges after authorities say a homemade device that court records call a "plasma cannon" was used to break into Ben L. Smith High School in Greensboro, North Carolina, early Sunday, starting a fire and damaging a door. Newly released video shows two of the accused outside the school.
Solomon Caravello-Bell, 18, of High Point, and Chayce Harricharan, 18, were arrested and booked into the Guilford County Jail. They made a first appearance Monday in Guilford County court. According to police, a juvenile was also detained before being released into the custody of a parent, and juvenile petitions are expected.
The Charges
Both men face the same set of charges, according to authorities:
- Felony breaking and/or entering
- Explosives on educational property
- Possession of a weapon of mass destruction, described in court records as a homemade plasma cannon
- Malicious use of explosives, damaging real property
- Felony conspiracy
Court records describe the device as a "powerful explosive." None of the charges have been tested in court, and neither man has been convicted.
What Authorities Say Happened
Officers responded to a burglary call just after 2 a.m. Sunday. According to a warrant, Caravello-Bell allegedly used the homemade device to burn a bush and damage a door at the high school before breaking into the building. Court records accuse him and several others of using the device to get inside, causing a fire in the process.
Prosecutors told the court that law enforcement recovered several water tanks and clear plastic that had been used to construct the makeshift device. Investigators found damage to a door near one of the school's entrances, including a hole in the glass. Surveillance cameras captured three suspects inside the school's media center, prosecutors said, and Caravello-Bell ran through the hallways for roughly 15 minutes before officers arrived.
In Court
Caravello-Bell's attorney asked the court to lower his bond, saying he has no criminal history. She told the court that he graduated from Smith High School and plans to begin HVAC school in August.
Smith High School is part of Guilford County Schools, one of the largest districts in North Carolina. Authorities say the break-in happened overnight on a weekend, with officers arriving shortly after 2 a.m.
Sources
FOX8 WGHP: Video shows 2 teens accused of using plasma cannon while attempting to break into Smith High School
Guilford County Schools
