Man sentenced to time served for ‘troubling, specific threats’ against State High
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Braeden Phillips received time served to under 5 years for terroristic threats.
- Investigation found no weapons or bombs confirming intent to carry out attack.
- State High added new safety measures after student threats disrupted operations.
The sentencing of the man who discussed a coordinated shooting at State College Area High School was nearly derailed Tuesday when he appeared to be grappling with admitting guilt.
Braeden A. Phillips, 20, of Mifflin County, appeared to deny any wrongdoing in a presentence interview despite pleading guilty last month to a felony count of terroristic threats.
Had he not accepted responsibility, Centre County District Attorney Bernie Cantorna said his prosecutors would not have moved forward with the agreement. And with Phillips’ defense lawyer unavailable for trial until at least December, he likely would’ve remained in pretrial confinement at the county jail.
“It all includes him taking responsibility that he did something wrong and that he understands that he did something wrong,” Cantorna said after the hearing. “... You can’t do a guilty plea if you say you’re innocent. That’s why we have a jury trial.”
Phillips ultimately acquiesced and was sentenced by Centre County Judge Brian Marshall to time served — about 5 1/2 months — to one day short of five years in jail. Though he’s eligible to be released, he will remain incarcerated at the Centre County Correctional Facility until an approved parole plan is in place.
Once he leaves the jail, he will remain under supervision for the remainder of his sentence. He is prohibited from possessing weapons, is not allowed within 100 feet of any school without permission and must undergo a mental health evaluation.
Cantorna said the former State High student made “very troubling, specific threats” that put hundreds in fear and led the school district to take drastic steps in response. Defense lawyer Matt McClenahen, meanwhile, acknowledged his client said some “really stupid things.”
Phillips had been accused of conspiring with a juvenile to carry out a shooting and bombing April 21, the day after the 26th anniversary of the Columbine High School massacre. Cantorna said Tuesday that no one else was charged and the investigation is complete.
State College Area School District declined Tuesday to answer a question asking if any students were disciplined in connection with the threats.
“The security threat our district faced last spring was a serious matter that understandably caused deep concern throughout our community,” a district spokesperson said in an email to the Centre Daily Times. “We are grateful for the response of law enforcement and the collaborative efforts that helped address the situation.”
A State College police detective said Phillips discussed a plan to place bombs inside the school’s bathrooms and referenced a “hit list.” The attack would have occurred at 8:40 a.m., a high traffic time at the school.
After receiving an initial report from a concerned citizen who police and the district have commended, 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.
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 him 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 evidence he was prepared to carry out the attack was lacking.
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.
“There was never a plot to attack State High. No students were ever in danger,” McClenahen told the CDT after the hearing. “This all started when some mean, bully-type kids at State High started to say that one of Braeden’s friends is a ‘school shooter’ because he’s weird and he’s awkward.”
The insult, McClenahen said, is a common way Generation Z students mock their peers. In response, McClenahen said Phillips began making “dark jokes” that more and more people heard.
“When other people heard it second-, third- or even fourth-hand, they believed it apparently,” McClenahen said. “I don’t fault the police for making an arrest right away before they could fully do their investigation because you don’t get a do-over. Even if there was only a one in a thousand chance that this was real, you still can’t take that chance.”
Phillips spoke with investigators after his arrest in Centre County and denied any involvement, Ripka testified. He also denied have a hit list, but said he compiled a “s--- list.”
McClenahen described Phillips as an “immature kid who doesn’t necessarily have the sophistication to think about consequences of his actions.”
“When he’s joking about a hypothetical school shooting, he didn’t have the sophistication to realize that’s something you really shouldn’t joke about because people who aren’t even there might hear about it and take it seriously,” McClenahen said.
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.” Phillips declined an opportunity to speak before his sentence was handed down.
On the first school day after Phillips was charged, 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 district has since rolled out new security and safety protocols for the 2025-26 academic year, including random searches and updated entry procedures.
“Our commitment to student safety remains unwavering. We understand that effective learning requires a secure environment where students, families, and staff feel confident and protected,” the district said. “We will continue to evaluate, adapt, and strengthen our security measures to ensure our schools remain safe spaces for education and growth. We thank our community for their continued support and trust as we move forward together.”
The purchase of eight metal detectors cost the district more than $56,000. Cantorna said it’s “to be determined” if prosecutors will push for Phillips to pay restitution.
“The lesson we can learn from this is kids should not be jokingly referring to socially awkward or troubled classmates as school shooters thinking that’s a funny way to bully people,” McClenahen said. “Number two, there’s certain things that you can’t joke about because there’s just too much of a risk that somebody’s going to take it seriously.”
This story was originally published September 23, 2025 at 1:41 PM.