After reading his 18-year-old daughter’s diary, a Maryland father discovered her plans to carry out a mass shooting at her high school.

What did the father do? He alerted the police and the horrific attack was luckily prevented.

Nichole Cevario, an honor roll student at Catoctin High School, began devising her plan to carry out a mass shooting at her high school in December 2016. Her diary was very detailed, including a specific timetable, the steps of the planned attack, and a target date of April 5.

Cevario accumulated several weapons and even constructed a pipe bomb with shrapnel and fuse material that she planned to use in the attack. She took it one step further by familiarizing herself with school procedures in the case of an emergency and even asked what kind of weapons authorities use in these situations, according to Frederick County Sheriff Charles Jenkins.

At 18-years-old, Cevario was legally allowed to purchase all of the weapons she needed to carry out her planned attack.

Jenkins said, “There is no doubt in our minds that we averted a disaster out there,” adding that her attack had all of the materials and planning to be as horrific as Sandy Hook and Columbine High.

Jenkins added, “It was all in her pre-planning in her mind, how she was going to carry this out. She looked at the patterns of the deputies; she looked at the entrance and exits of the school, how the school was secured.”

Speaking at a news conference Monday morning, Jenkins indicated that he believed it was obvious the student was mentally ill.

Jenkins added that after investigating all of the evidence found at her home, it was “obvious intent was there … The evidence that we got from her home revealed that she was taking steps, active steps, acquiring the materials. including the purchase of a shotgun, the construction of pipe bombs and other explosives.”

The Frederick County Sheriff’s Office released a statement Monday, adding that Nichole Cervario had every intention of dying in the attack.

The statement read:

Investigators are confident of the intent, but are still trying to evaluate if Ms. Cevario would have had the will to execute the event, but what was clear from Ms. Cevario is she planned on dying on the date she identified in her journal.

The investigation has also revealed she had the means and equipment to have caused a significant life safety event at Catoctin High School if she had followed through with the threat. It was also clear that Ms. Cevario was struggling with mental health issues which prompted the emergency evaluation at Frederick Memorial Hospital.

There is no doubt in our minds that we averted a disaster out there.

Subsequently, Cevario was committed involuntarily to the Frederick Memorial Hospital for a mental health assessment. Upon release, she will be arrested and charged with possession of incendiary material with the intent to create a destructive device and possession of explosive materials.

Cevario faces up to 25 years in prison.