http://www.myfoxdetroit.com/dpp/news/local/students-evacuated-at-phoenix-multi-cultural-academyDETROIT - An explosive scene inside a Detroit school. A homemade bomb went off Wednesday morning, forcing hundreds of students to evacuate. One student is now in police custody.
There was chaos at Phoenix Multi-Cultural Academy in southwest Detroit where 586 children attend classes. At eight o'clock Wednesday morning, a bomb exploded in a hallway of the third floor of the three story school. No one was injured, but children were instantly frightened at the sudden and loud explosion that came with no warning.
"I heard a bomb go off, but I didn't really think about (anything), and once we walked in the hallway, there was a lot of smoke everywhere," said one student.
A student who attended Phoenix Academy was taken into custody. Investigators say he's 14 years old and that he was found with home cleaning products in a plastic bottle. The product is described as a drain cleaning chemical.
There was enough for a second explosion. Detroit Police took samples and then safely blew up the remaining product. So, there were two bombs in all, one which exploded in the hallway and another blown up by authorities later.
"Someone set off a explosive device inside the school. Police (were) called to the scene. Of course, an evacuation was done because of the device being set off inside the school. At that point, police got here, bomb squad was called out, K-9 was called out to actually handle the situation," said Don Johnson with the Detroit Police Department.
Classes were canceled. Students were taken to nearby Roberto Clemente Learning Academy for parents to pick them up. Classes will resume at Phoenix Academy on Thursday.
The Detroit Police Division of Homeland Security examined the bomb and determined that despite its homemade nature, it was most definitly a bomb capable of killing.
"Students were very, very lucky," Johnson said.
Police want to know if this stunt was for a thrill or if someone in the school was being targeted.