Updated

An eastern Alabama high school student faces an attempted assault charge after authorities say he planned to use homemade explosives in a terrorist attack on fellow students at his school.

Authorities say 17-year-old Derek Shrout, a student at Russell County High School in Seale, will appear at a Monday afternoon court hearing in Russell County.

Russell County Sheriff Heath Taylor tells the Columbus Ledger-Enquirer (http://bit.ly/13aWRiq) that a search of Shrout's home found several small tobacco cans and two large cans, all with holes drilled in them and containing pellets. Taylor said other ingredients to complete the small bombs — such as black powder, butane and fuses — were not found.

The sheriff said the devices were just "a step or two away from being ready to explode."

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Information from: Columbus Ledger-Enquirer, http://ledger-enquirer.com