MIT Student With Fake Bomb Nabbed At Logan

19-Year-Old Arrested At Boston Airport Had Computer Circuit Board, Battery On Chest

(CBS/AP)  An MIT student with what police feared was a fake bomb attached to her chest was arrested at gunpoint Friday at Logan International Airport and later claimed it was artwork, officials said.

Star Simpson, 19, had a computer circuit board and wiring in plain view over a black hooded sweat shirt she was wearing, said State Police Maj. Scott Pare, the commanding officer at the airport.

"She said that it was a piece of art and she wanted to stand out on Career Day," Pare said at a news conference. "She claims that it was just art, and that she was proud of the art and she wanted to display it." (There was a career fair at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology on Thursday, according to the university's Web site.)

CBS News correspondent Bob Orr (audio) reports officials say they had to take the incident seriously. All of U.S. aviation remains under Code Orange, the second highest terror threat level.

Simpson was charged with disturbing the peace and possessing a hoax device, and was to be arraigned in East Boston District Court later Friday.

"I'm shocked and appalled that somebody would wear this type of device to an airport," Pare said.

Simpson showed "a total disregard to understand the context of the situation she is in, which is an airport of post-9/11," prosecutor Wayne Margolis said at a hearing where a not guilty plea was entered for Simpson and she was released on $750 bail. Margolis had asked for $5,000 bail.

Simpson, of Lahaina, Hawaii, was arrested Friday morning outside Terminal C, home to United Airlines, Jet Blue and other carriers.

She wore the white circuit board on her chest over a black hooded sweat shirt, Pare said at a news conference. The battery-powered rectangular device had nine flashing lights, and Simpson had Play-Doh in her hands, he said.

Two phrases that looked hand-drawn — "Socket to me" and "Course VI" — were written on the back of Simpson's sweat shirt, which authorities displayed to the media. Course VI appears to refer to MIT's major of electrical engineering and computer science.

Simpson is the secretary of MIT's Electrical Research Society, according to her lawyer. She is a graduate of the Hawaii Preparatory Academy, a private boarding school, has won school prizes for chemistry and leadership, and had received a Congressional citation for her work in robotics, said Ross Schreiber, who was appointed to represent Simpson.

He said she was not a risk to flee, cooperated with authorities and was a good student with no prior convictions. He said they would fight the charges.

"I would characterize it as almost being paranoid at this point," Schreiber said of authorities' response.

He said Simpson had gone to the airport to meet her boyfriend. "She was there for legitimate purposes," Schreiber said.

A Massachusetts Port Authority staffer manning an information booth in the terminal became suspicious when Simpson — wearing the device — approached to ask about an incoming flight, Pare said. Simpson then walked outside, and the staffer notified a nearby trooper.

The trooper, joined by others with submachine guns, confronted her in front of the terminal.

"She was immediately told to stop, to raise her hands and not to make any movement, so we could observe all her movements to see if she was trying to trip any type of device," Pare said. "Had she not followed the protocol, we might have used deadly force."

He added, "She's lucky to be in a cell as opposed to the morgue."

The terminal was not evacuated and flights were not affected, airport officials said.

Boston was the focus of a security scare Jan. 31 when dozens of battery-powered devices that featured a character making an obscene gesture with a finger were discovered in various locations. Bomb squads were deployed and some transportation links were closed temporarily. They turned out to be a promotion for the Cartoon Network. Two men were charged in that incident, but prosecutors dropped the charges after they apologized and performed community service.

[michellem99-2009]

Portland Jetport ME,Logan MA then NY played a part in 9/11.. She was in school and surely her school adm broatcasted it so that teen knew. That girl was not raised in a barn. She saw it on tv ,papers, and her comouter. I have the flag in a vase that I put up that day and still displayed. Our kin over there.
I had tears down my face when I woke my room mate told him we were attacked. It was on the TV. She threw her education down the loo. Real dumb girl. She be pondering her actions in a cell and the only good is they could have killed her but did not. She learnt nothing. It is a different America.

[michellem99-2009]

crzmeat.Dear at her age I was a high gradate at the blind center in Portland Maine, my first paycheck was $22. Our day things were different. Still we did not do stuff that girl did. She knew better. It is people like her that hurt it for us all. If it isn''t bad now. She knew better.. An awful way of drawing attn to herself. As legally blind white cane user and older person her behaviour is uncalled for and could have done damage. It is not a joke young lady. They would have killed out here and askes ?s later.

[Krazcarl]

Misschanny....I owe an apoligy I rereade your post and I''m the village idiot SORRY in my opinion you are correct.

[Krazcarl]

MSSCHANNEY would you ware what would be a explosive device on you to the airport or strap one on your child. That''s why 18 year olds are fighting an dieing.

[michellem99-2009]

9/11 started in Portland Maine as the asres bought their tickets at the Portland Jetport MAINE then changed planes at Logan. Those asres was not Mainers. And yet they used Maine to fly out that awful day. I am a Mainer. Us Mainers didn''t know their awful plans. msschanny yer wrong I say stared as they boarded their first flight there and we had no idae what they were up to until the wtc.

[msschanny]

Are you joking me? An MIT student who fails to realize the seriousness of wearing what appears to be a BOMB to an AIRPORT. There are 18 year olds fighting and dying in Iraq that realize all too well the seriousness of these acts; this girl is 19 and apparently relatively intelligent given she is a student at MIT but thinks it''s a fabulous idea to wear what appears to be a bomb to an airport. Also, is she entirely ignorant of the world around her? She was 13 when 9/11 happened and the date just passed so unless she lives under a rock it''s funny she didn''t "realize" the part Logan Int''l played in the 9/11 attacks. It''s about like screaming fire in a crowded area because you want to be a fire fighter. Real smart there, MIT girl.

[michellem99-2009]

There was a guy in Seattle who pulled this at a fed court house and they shot him dead. No ifs ,ands, or butts. They shot the gent to kill him as he said he had a bomb on his person. and he was killed. He did not have shch on his person,etc. He paid with his life for just saying so..
My friend said that girl luckey to be alive. There aew places she would not in America.

[clankingjive]

Logan security should get some common sense & situational awareness. Do they even know what city they are living in? Do they know ANYTHING about MIT ??? Can they put together any theory on how some LEDs and a sweatshirt with MIT catchphrases on it equal a hoax device?

This is matchless, almost breathtaking stupidity.

Oh, wait, maybe not matchless. There was another Boston LE group that is also apparently also divorced from the culture in which they live.

I guess they should pay their cops more, & tell tem to get out a little more.

[michellem99-2009]

The cameras are to catch the stealers but they can be used for what they don''t tell us. There been mall killings here are they get the asre. No system is fool proof. Govt buildings they are tight. I have to leave my talking clock at the desk, they go thru my purse. They make us clean out our pockets. That wand over yer person. I hate it. Ever had it shoved yer know where ladies that yer male friend there see it and you know it is wrong and yer keep quiet . I have. I have every thing where I know is and they mess things up. I don''t like the changes as a handicapped person. We roll with it.

[Krazcarl]

toldyouso21 ..your another ignarant carpetbagger type that thinks we don''t see your a troll or village idiot and trying to pretend you have intellegence. M99 I consider a friend you are so lucky were not at a bar but that''s why trolls hide here cause thier gutless,,,

[toldyouso21]

CORRECTION:

The purpose of terrorism is to make us all paranoid and to make our government repressive--why should anyone attack us, when they STILL are getting soooo much mileage out of the WTC attacks?

[toldyouso21]

toldyouso21, they have the walk thru in stores..they do go off. Others cctv..cameras every where,buses,bank,stores, and yer watched. This is America. They got cameras we just can''''t see them. I don''''t know about public rest rooms..I would not be surprised. A crazy world out there.

First off, the walk through is not in every store and not in many malls. I know several people who carry concealed weapons everywhere they go--and not once did anything go off when I went shopping with them. Second of all, cc cameras are to watch people steal, they are loss prevention tools. Terrorists don''t take stuff, they want to leave stuff --and if ever they decide to leave a stuffed teddy bear bomb in the toy section at Walmart at christmas time--seeing them place it there, will not prevent it from going off or prevent the deaths---and if they are jihadists, seeing them won''t matter anyway, since they will probably blow themselves and the toy up. Especially, if someone leaves something and does the cell phone bomb activation--waht then? The person watching from the cc tv has time to evacuate the store? Or is even paying attention? (hello Canadian border guard and the TB escapee)

yeah right. We are about as safe or prepared as we were before 9/11. The purpose of terrorism is to make us all paranoid and to make our government repressive--why should anyone attack us, when they steal are getting soooo much mileage out of the WTC attacks?

[michellem99-2009]

toldyouso21, they have the walk thru in stores..they do go off. Others cctv..cameras every where,buses,bank,stores, and yer watched. This is America. They got cameras we just can''t see them. I don''t know about public rest rooms..I would not be surprised. A crazy world out there.

[hypnotoad72]

Two things:

1. Fake or real, I''d expect the authorities to respond like this. To joke about this sort of thing is no joke.

2. I''ve heard topics on tech forums about "wearable PCs". Will this incident prevent mass production and distribution of wearable computers, an idea which is just as daft as that motorized scooter Segue thing?

[iceman_1960]

Found randomly at the Darwin Awards website:

"(North Carolina) I read about this when I was in college in North Carolina back in 1993. This guy, Salome Vedejas, I''ll never forget his name. He wanted to make a withdrawal from his bank account. Salome was about 35, a little slow, and he lived with his mother. It was cold out, so he went to the bank wearing a ski mask. He pulled up to the drive through and gave the teller his withdrawal form. The
woman panicked, thinking he was a thief, and gave him over $10,000. He had no clue what had happened, and just drove off. The bank called the cops and they chased him all the way into the Blue Ridge Mountains. The guy must have been scared, because he ended up driving right off a cliff. I remember a quote from his mother: "My son always wears his ski mask when it''s cold. The police killed my son." Crazy huh?"

[radiob-2009]

That is the reason for the warning labels on lawnmowers.

[iceman_1960]

"Ice what about the two guys who decided to use a lawnmower as a shrubber on a bush? They went to lift it and _________________."
- Posted by radiob at 09:34 AM : Sep 22, 2007

Offhand, I''d say they should have turned it off first.

[radiob-2009]

Ice what about the two guys who decided to use a lawnmower as a shrubber on a bush? They went to lift it and _________________.

[iceman_1960]

Past Darwin Award winners...

A 23-year-old bar-brawler who had been escorted out of the Turtle Club in Florida by a bouncer, sneaked back in and leaped off a staircase, aiming a kick at another man, but was killed when he landed on his head.

Iraqi terrorist Khay Rahnajet, didn''t put enough postage on a letter bomb, and it came back marked "return to sender." He opened the package and was blown away.

Two animal rights activists were protesting the cruelty of sending pigs to a slaughterhouse in Bonn by freeing a captive herd. Suddenly all two thousand of pigs stampeded through the gate they were opening, and trampled the hapless protesters to death.

On July 28, a pack of thieves attempted to steal and sell scrap metal from an abandoned factory in the Czech Republic. Their target: the steel girders that supported the factory roof!

[iceman_1960]

"In fact they have the "Darwin Awards" to celebrate those individuals as lacking in it as this woman is. Ms. Simpson would be a Star at those awards."
- Posted by Iceman_1960 at 09:12 AM : Sep 22, 2007

I hadn''t checked before, but Star Simpson is the latest nominee !!

"Miss a Near Miss in Boston
(21 September 2007) A MIT student narrowly escaped death by submachine gun. She later claimed that strolling around an airport wearing a fake bomb was "art." The student was apprehended at gunpoint, and forced to surrender her flashing circuit board and ball of Play-doh. "She''s lucky to be in a cell as opposed to the morgue," said police.
Details/Vote."

http://www.darwinawards.com/