Man accused of planning attack at State High pleads guilty, 2 charges dropped
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- Braeden Phillips pleaded guilty to terroristic threats; two felonies dropped.
- Investigators found firearms but no bombs, manifesto or assault rifles at home.
- State College schools launched new safety protocols for the 2025-26 year.
A man accused of planning a coordinated shooting at State College Area High School pleaded guilty Tuesday to a felony count of terroristic threats.
Braeden A. Phillips, 20, of Mifflin County, would be eligible for parole when he’s sentenced Sept. 23. He would only be released from the Centre County Correctional Facility once an approved parole plan is in place.
Phillips will have served about 5 1/2 months in the county jail at the time of his sentencing.
Under the agreement, Phillips will be under county supervision for five years, minus one day. He is not allowed to possess weapons, would be prohibited from going within 100 feet of any school without permission and would undergo a mental health evaluation.
Felony charges of conspiracy to commit murder and unlawful possession of a firearm were dropped as part of the plea. Phillips said little during the hearing, only answering routine questions about his plea from Centre County Judge Brian Marshall.
Neither Centre County First Assistant District Attorney Josh Andrews nor defense lawyer Matt McClenahen objected to the case being handled by Marshall, who said his daughter was a State High senior at the time of the planned attack.
Phillips, a former State High student, had been accused of conspiring with another person to carry out a shooting and bombing April 21, the day after the 26th anniversary of the Columbine High School massacre.
A borough police detective said Phillips discussed a plan to place bombs inside the school’s bathrooms and referenced a “hit list” containing the names of multiple targets. The attack was planned for 8:40 a.m., a high traffic time at the school.
After an initial report from a concerned citizen, officers interviewed at least four former and current State High students who said Phillips discussed an attack with them.
Under intense questioning from McClenahen during Phillips’ preliminary hearing in April, the witnesses sometimes contradicted themselves or each other. One concluded her testimony in tears, while another mumbled and seemed interested in doing anything but testifying.
None of the four directly reported the conversations to police or attempted to dissuade Phillips. They testified they either told someone else, were fearful of retaliation or didn’t initially take Phillips seriously.
A search of Phillips’ home in Milroy revealed several shotguns and a box of ammunition commonly used with assault rifles, borough police detective Craig Ripka testified.
But investigators never recovered an assault rifle and only found what Ripka described as a replica handgun. Nor did they recover any bombs, components or instructions to make them, a manifesto or suicide note.
“It’s a pretty weak case,” McClenahen said during Phillips’ preliminary hearing.
Phillips spoke with investigators after his arrest in Centre County and denied any involvement, Ripka testified. Phillips also denied having a hit list, but said he compiled a “s--- list.”
When police asked if Phillips had any issues or past grievances with State High, a longtime friend said Phillips told him the school did not “serve his educational needs and failed him.”
The involvement of an unnamed juvenile was mentioned in Phillips’ criminal complaint, though no one else has been charged.
Arrest led to changes at State High
On the first school day after the alleged attack was made public, State High used metal detectors at each entrance on the school’s campus. It caused delays of more than an hour.
Typically home to more than 2,000 students, Ripka testified about half the student body and some teachers were absent on the day the attacked was planned.
The State College Area School District has since rolled out new security and safety protocols for the 2025-26 academic year, including random searches and updated entry procedures. Tuesday was the first day of the school year.
All students between the sixth and 12th grades are required to wear new school IDs while on school property, and most will need to scan those badges before entering buildings. The searches will be conducted at its middle and high schools.
In an earlier email sent to district families, Superintendent Curtis Johnson said the district’s new policies largely stemmed from its review of protocols following the thwarted attack. They were developed alongside recommendations from law enforcement and feedback from the community.
The district spent more than $56,000 on eight metal detectors.
This story was originally published August 26, 2025 at 12:09 PM.