Thursday, July 16, 2009

Teen Arrested for Upper East Side Starbucks Blast

Via NBCNewYork.com -

A teen arrested in the bombing of an upper East Side Starbucks was inspired to plant the explosive device by the movie "Fight Club," cops said today.

Kyle Shaw, 17, of Chelsea, was charged with arson, criminal mischief and criminal possession of a weapon for placing the bomb at the E. 92nd St. coffee shop, police said.

Shaw was inspired to plant the bomb at the Manhattan eatery by watching the anarchic behavior of Brad Pitt in the film "Fight Club." He picked the site because a Starbucks was a target in the movie, police said.

Shaw formed his own fight club in which boys beat one another in various locales around the city including Central Park, Police Commissioner Ray Kelly said.

At least one member got a broken nose, he said.

Shaw apparently told at least one friend to "watch the news over Memorial Day'' because he was about to launch his own version of "project mayhem,'' Kelly said. Investigators are looking into whether more people might have been involved.

The homemade device exploded at 3:30 a.m. on May 25 and no one was hurt in the attack. The bomb was made out of water bottle and powder used to make fireworks.

Video at the scene showed two teens carrying a plastic container with what cops believed to be explosives.

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For more background information, check my May 25th blog entry on the blast...

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