Trans Nova Scotia female teen charged with plotting 'violent attack' against high school

A 15-year-old Nova Scotia teen who goes by "he" and "him" pronouns has been accused of plotting to launch an attack in coordination with a 14-year-old Manitoba boy at their respective high schools.

The 15-year-old appeared in Bridgewater youth court on Monday, during which the defense lawyer said that the teen, whom police had first described as a girl, goes by male pronouns. The defense requested a one-month delay on a show-cause or bail hearing while a special report on the teen’s background is prepared, per CBC. The teen will remain in jail for the time being. 

The Bridgewater Police Service said that it had been alerted earlier in March by Interpol and the FBI about online conversations occurring between the two teens, in which they spoke about their desire to launch a "violent attack" at Bridgewater, Nova Scotia’s Park View Education Centre and Rivers, Manitoba’s Rivers Collegiate. 

Danny MacPhee, Bridgewater's deputy police chief, said, "The plan was to go in and murder multiple students, and the type of weapon used in the murder wasn't clearly laid out yet." 

During a search of the Nova Scotia teen’s residence, police uncovered handwritten plans, imitation weapons such as an imitation pipe bomb and rifle, and clothing with "concerning comments" and hate symbols. A laptop and cellphone were also seized. The Manitoba teen was arrested during a traffic stop on a school bus. His electronic devices were taken. 

MacPhee said that the teens had been planning the attacks "for a period of time," and that police found a handwritten map and notes of a plan and "how they would proceed with an active attack."

He said it appeared the two teens knew each other only through the internet and had not met in person, and that the simultaneous attacks would have possibly occurred in the next school year. "The plans were in the planning stages. They weren't imminent, so we believe we've kind of hit this off before it escalated," MacPhee said. 

The 15-year-old was arraigned on charges of conspiracy to commit murder and uttering threats to cause death. The 14-year-old has been charged with uttering threats. Authorities could bring extra charges, with police investigating the incident as a potential hate crime.