Bomb Goes Off at High School; No One Is Hurt

A small, homemade bomb exploded Wednesday at La Quinta High School, unnerving students but causing no injuries or damage, authorities said.

The explosion occurred about 10:20 a.m. in the school’s student store, just as students were returning to classes following the morning snack period, La Quinta Principal Andrew McTaggart said.

“There was a sharp, brief but loud noise,” McTaggart said. “It came from a trash barrel. . . . Our activities director, as well as some students in the store, were entering another room at the time and were obviously startled and shaken.”

McTaggart said the students then retrieved from the plastic trash barrel a plastic carton containing a battery, lead wire and small piece of wood about 3 inches in diameter. The crude device was turned over to McTaggart, who called police.

Westminster Fire Department officials and bomb specialists from the Orange County Fire Department were also called in and are continuing their investigation of the incident, he said.

“The preliminary assessment was that it was a firecracker and rather a simple device,” McTaggart said. “They weren’t sure if there was a timing mechanism or just the appearance of one.”

McTaggart said the school, which has about 1,500 students, has not received any recent bomb threats, and he said he has no idea who might pull such a stunt or why.

“According to the officer, his first assumption was that it was a pretty miserable prank,” the principal said.