OILDALE - A student at North High School faces at least one felony charge for bringing a bomb on campus Friday morning.
The school was put on lockdown for about an hour and the Sheriff's bomb squad was brought in.
"My speculation is if it did in fact detonate, it could have caused injuries," said Mike Collier, Kern High School District Police.
North High officials weren't taking any chances.
Staff called 911 and evacuated students to the football field. Worried parents flooded the nearby street.
"Obviously we have some parents who are on campus who are concerned, and we're releasing those students to their parents immediately," said North High Principal Alan Paradise.
Staff members say they were tipped off by other students who overheard the 15-year-old brag or talk about having the device in his locker in the C-Annex building on campus.
"The item is about four to five inches long, cylindrical and appears to contain some sort of explosive powder, explosive powder from a firework," said Collier.
The Sheriff's bomb squad rolled in and rendered the device safe.
Outside the campus, tensions at times ran high.
Some parents complained they didn't receive a text alert sent out by the high school. Others said they were getting conflicting information about whether to pick up their kids.
"Probably a lot of these people had to rush from work. So they're in a rush, and it's a slow process, and everybody's nerves get a little short," said Paradise.
"Crazy. People gone crazy. That's all I can say," said grandparent Mary Wolford.
Numerous students and parents complained, teachers and school staff prevented students from texting or calling their family as they waited in the stands.
"I was actually contacting my mother because she had text messaged me saying there were a bunch of police officers in front," said student Tyler Redwine.
Despite the complaints, the principal denied there was a policy.
"We did not get on the all-announcement and tell students not to use their phone. In fact, many students are using their phone to contact students. That was one of the ways they were making contact so we could release them,. said Paradise.
The student who allegedly brought the device to campus faces at least one felony charge of possessing a destructive device.
The school was put on lockdown for about an hour and the Sheriff's bomb squad was brought in.
"My speculation is if it did in fact detonate, it could have caused injuries," said Mike Collier, Kern High School District Police.
North High officials weren't taking any chances.
Staff called 911 and evacuated students to the football field. Worried parents flooded the nearby street.
"Obviously we have some parents who are on campus who are concerned, and we're releasing those students to their parents immediately," said North High Principal Alan Paradise.
Staff members say they were tipped off by other students who overheard the 15-year-old brag or talk about having the device in his locker in the C-Annex building on campus.
"The item is about four to five inches long, cylindrical and appears to contain some sort of explosive powder, explosive powder from a firework," said Collier.
The Sheriff's bomb squad rolled in and rendered the device safe.
Outside the campus, tensions at times ran high.
Some parents complained they didn't receive a text alert sent out by the high school. Others said they were getting conflicting information about whether to pick up their kids.
"Probably a lot of these people had to rush from work. So they're in a rush, and it's a slow process, and everybody's nerves get a little short," said Paradise.
"Crazy. People gone crazy. That's all I can say," said grandparent Mary Wolford.
Numerous students and parents complained, teachers and school staff prevented students from texting or calling their family as they waited in the stands.
"I was actually contacting my mother because she had text messaged me saying there were a bunch of police officers in front," said student Tyler Redwine.
Despite the complaints, the principal denied there was a policy.
"We did not get on the all-announcement and tell students not to use their phone. In fact, many students are using their phone to contact students. That was one of the ways they were making contact so we could release them,. said Paradise.
The student who allegedly brought the device to campus faces at least one felony charge of possessing a destructive device.