Lake Havasu High School remained closed for a second day today after a student sprayed a banned pesticide on school walls and placed drops of the chemical in at least one trash can Wednesday, according to school and fire officials.

The odor from the chemical led school officials to at first believe it was a “stink bomb” in the J hall.

Devon Mills, a LHHS senior, said he showed up to school a little early Wednesday to finish homework and the “smell in the hallway was just awful.”

“Some of the students and teachers made masks out of Kleenex,” he said. “Fortunately, the smell didn’t penetrate the doors in the classrooms.”

Mills said by about 10 a.m., the odor of rotten eggs was gone.

“I think it was bearable because it didn’t get in the classroom,” he said. Mills said he thought the school made the right decision to cancel classes — considering it meant he didn’t have to do his homework, and it was the proper precaution.

Lake Havasu City Fire Marshal Chip Shilosky said the 16-year-old male student charged in the incident led them to a spray bottle allegedly used in the incident, which was tossed in the wash near the high school’s campus at 2675 S. Palo Verde Blvd.

The student has been charged with disorderly conduct and endangerment, a misdemeanor charge, police previously stated. Lake Havasu Unified School District officials did not return e-mail messages Thursday asking if the student would face, or has faced, district punishment.

Shilosky said up to three ounces of malathion, a banned insect repellant was used in the first floor of the J Hall building nearest to the Little Knights Preschool Program, which allows supervised high school students to lead the preschool.

Marie Hendry, the Little Knights supervisor and teacher, said the preschoolers normally don’t enter the hallways. She said at the time she didn’t know what had happened and she just kept her door to the outside playground open.

Shilosky said a cleaning crew specializing in hazardous materials has to clean the building, including the air ducts.

“It’s a hazardous material,” he said. “It’s a product that has actually been banned clear back to the ’80s. You won’t find malathion at your local Wal-Mart. … It has to be treated just as if it was a mercury spill or any other hazardous material.”

A LHUSD press release states the student’s parents have indicated the chemical may have come from their garage.

School officials kept LHHS closed today to ensure proper clean up, and they expect classes to resume Monday.

You may contact the reporter at jleatherman@havasunews.com