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"Starbucks Bomber" Gets Prison; Was NYC Attack a "Flight Club" Copycat?

WCBS/File Photo/Steve Sandberg

NEW YORK (CBS/AP) Whether he was merely misguided, or out to imitate the Brad Pitt character in the movie "Fight Club," a teenager who set off a homemade bomb outside a New York City Starbucks has been sentenced to 3½ years in prison.

Kyle Shaw, 19, pleaded guilty in September to charges including attempted arson. He was 17 when he filled a bottle with powder from fireworks and detonated the device in front of an Upper East Side Starbucks on Memorial Day, May 25, 2009.  It shattered windows, but no one was injured.

Authorities said the stunt was meant to emulate the anti-hero in the film and novel "Fight Club."

In the 1999 movie, Brad Pitt played the character Tyler Durden, who orchestrates attacks on symbols of corporate America.

Shaw's lawyer said his client's actions reflect a "troubled youth," not an anarchist campaign.

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