A 17-year-old student from Albany, Oregon appeared in court this afternoon Tuesday on charges of plotting to bomb his high school. On the first day back for students, the sign in front of the campus Tuesday says simply, “West Albany High School is family.” Tanner Whitley is a senior there.
“It was really scary when we came back at first because we didn’t know what to expect," Whitley says. "But as we come back, it’s kind of nice to be back with everyone here because everybody seems a little bit tighter right now.”
Whitley describes the suspect in the case, Grant Acord, as “quiet and shy” and someone who didn’t seem to fit in. In court Tuesday judge set bail at $2 million.
Acord’s mother, Marianne Fox, released a statement saying her son suffers from Obsessive Compulsive Disorder brought on by a strep infection. It’s a condition known by its acronym as P.A.N.D.A.S. Acord is being charged as an adult.