ST. GEORGE, Utah (AP) — A teenager accused of trying to blow up a homemade backpack bomb at a St. George high school after looking at Islamic State propaganda has pleaded not guilty.
The Spectrum newspaper in St. George reports the 16-year-old boy entered his plea Wednesday and is due back in court Aug. 22.
The teen is charged with felony attempted murder and using a weapon of mass destruction, as well as misdemeanor graffiti and abuse of a flag.
The charges were filed after the smoking backpack was found in a common area of Pine View High School in March. It failed to explode.
Investigators found no known connections between the boy and the terror group.
He's also charged with spray-painting "ISIS is comi_" on a Hurricane High school wall in February plus cutting up an American flag and replacing it on a flagpole with a homemade ISIS flag.