Jury Deadlocks Over Sanity Of School Bomber

REDWOOD CITY, Calif. (AP) -- A judge has declared a mistrial in the sanity phase of the trial for a California teenager accused of setting off two pipe bombs at his former high school.

Alex Youshock was convicted last month of attempted murder and weapons charges, but jurors had to also decide whether the 18-year-old was sane during the 2009 attack at Hillsdale High School in San Mateo.

Jurors told the judge Friday that they were deadlocked. Eleven jurors apparently believed Youshock was legally sane, while one disagreed.

Authorities say Youshock showed brought homemade bombs, a sword and a chain saw to the school in a plot to kill three teachers who gave him bad grades. His attorney says he was suffering from schizophrenia.

Prosecutors must now decide whether to retry the sanity phase.

(Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press.  All Rights Reserved.)