1. We have a teen mixing chemicals that she admitted she had no idea what they would do.
2.She's doing this in the schoolyard, not in a lab or classroom, and not under the direction of any teacher.
3.Some friend was guiding her into mixing the chemicals.
Ok, so it was a prank. I understand. A teenager doesn't always make the best decisions. We have all likely done pranks before.
But the difference is, in this day and age, and after recent bombings, mixing random things together at the advice of your friend is really really stupid. She had no idea what would happen and admitted as much. That's how you get people "innocently" making real bombs and killing real people. And I think that's why there was such a harsh response.
I wish I could say race played no part, but I think it did. This is a very conservative county, a real backwater.