Boy, 15, Arrested After 'Bottle Bomb' Blows Up Near School Bus

A 15-year-old Rockville student was arrested yesterday afternoon after a homemade "bottle bomb" he was about to bring onto a school bus exploded as a teacher discarded it, Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Service officials said.

A teacher at Mark Twain School who saw something suspicious approached the student -- whom authorities did not identify because he was charged as a juvenile -- as he was getting ready to board a school bus. As the teacher seized the two-liter bottle, its contents were activated by the movement, leading to an explosive chemical reaction.

No one was injured.

The homemade bombs are unusual but easy to make, officials said.

"They're made to explode and can cause significant damage," said Pete Piringer, a spokesman for the fire and rescue service. "They're very dangerous to first-responders."

Firefighters were called to the school, at 14501 Avery Rd., shortly after the bottle detonated at 2:30 p.m. Investigators believe the bomb was made with common household products. It is unclear what the teenager sought to do with the bomb, Piringer said.

The student was charged with manufacturing and possession of an explosive device -- a felony punishable by up to 25 years in jail -- and reckless endangerment.

Most students who attend Mark Twain have special education needs, such as learning disabilities and behavioral problems.