Asked what he did on his summer vacation, a Tennessee boy surprised his teacher by saying he made explosive devices, police said on Thursday.
Police were summoned to investigate the 13-year-old's claim and found he was telling the truth.
The boy, who is not being identified, was charged Wednesday with felony manufacturing of explosive devices, according to Lisa Marchesoni, spokeswoman for the Rutherford County Sheriff's Department.
It was only the third day of classes at Smyrna Middle School and the boy was simply responding to the standard "how did you spend your summer vacation?" question from his eighth-grade teacher, according to information provided by the sheriff's department.
The teacher summoned the school resource officer, who with other county lawmen were given the OK by the boy's mother to search the family home.
A homemade device was found during the Wednesday search, according to Marchesoni.
The Tennessee Highway Patrol bomb squad — with the assistance of the Smyrna Police and Fire Departments — removed the device, according to Marchesoni.
"We took precautions in case anything happened," . "We're surprised a 13-year-old is making bombs and speaking about it openly. The mother didn't know he had been doing it, but she cooperated with the search."
The boy's grandfather told the newspaper that investigators asked him about two metal pipes that had been taped together.
"They were surprised. It looks like a bazooka to shoot bottle rockets higher," he told The Tennessean.
The boy was being held at the juvenile detention center, and a Juvenile Court hearing will be scheduled, according to Marchesoni.
Rutherford County Sheriff Robert F. Arnold praised the teamwork of the agencies in safely handling the situation.
"We took the threat very seriously in responding and coordinating with other agencies to eliminate this potential threat to our community," Arnold said.
"We'll always take these situations very seriously to protect the citizens of Rutherford County."
Smyrna is a booming bedroom community in Rutherford County, just south of Nashville.