Monday, December 16, 2013

Harvard Science Center Bomb Scare

Harvard Science Center Bomb Scare
School Attacks | Timeline | Asian Attackers  | False threat

December 16, 2013  Harvard Science Center Bomb Scare Four buildings at Harvard University were evacuated and morning final exams were canceled Monday after the school said it had "unconfirmed" reports of explosives. Eldo Kim, a Harvard sophomore was charged in relation to the threat and could face a maximum five years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine under bomb hoax laws. Kim used an application to generate an anonymous IP address that is difficult for law enforcement to trace, but authorities established he had used Harvard networks to access the service. Kim told authorities he was “motivated by a desire to avoid a final exam." In May an envelope with white powder was sent to anti-semitism opponent professor Alan Dershowitz and Harvard Law school was evacuated. In April the Kennedy School was evacuated amid reports of unconfirmed bomb threats in city. In May 2, 2008, Harvard Square was closed when three manholes exploded and burned. In February 2000 A phoned-in bomb threat followed by a strange smell forced two separate evacuations of a building at the Harvard Extension School.

It was the latest in a series of security scares at U.S. schools and universities. Three days ago a Colorado high school student intent on confronting a teacher opened fire at his school, severely wounding a classmate before killing himself.

Timeline:


May 2013: 

Envelope with white powder sent to Alan Dershowitz, Harvard Law evacuated, tests negative

Posted by     Friday, May 10, 2013 Harvard Law School Professor Alan Dershowitz takes many controversial stands, including speaking out against the anti-Semitism of the BDS and Pinkwashing movements, and the lawfare against and the academic boycott of Israel.

April 2013: Harvard Kennedy School Evacuation | The Harvard Crimson
  1. www.thecrimson.com/gallery/2013/4/15/harvard-kennedy-school-evacuation
    Bomb Threats Harvard University evacuated the Kennedy School late in the afternoon, amid reports of unconfirmed bomb threats in the Cambridge area.
  2. Manhole Fires Close Harvard Square | WCVB Home - WCVB Home

    www.wcvb.com/Manhole-Fires-Close-Harvard.../-/index.html

    May 2, 2008 - Harvard Square was closed and two buildings evacuated early Friday when three manholes exploded and burned in Cambridge.
  1. February 15, 2000 Bomb Threat, Smell Force Evacuations | News | The Harvard …

    www.thecrimson.com/.../2/15/bomb-threat-smell-force-evacuations-pa
    A phoned-in bomb threat followed by a strange smell forced two separate evacuations of a building at the Harvard Extension School, cancelled classes and sent at least ...At 4:37 p.m., the Extension School registrar's office at 51 Brattle St. received a call about explosives in the building.

12/16/2013

  1. Harvard police: 'No reason to believe' bomb threat; evacuation ...

    Harvard police: 'No reason to believe' bomb threat; evacuation ends
    www.latimes.com/nation/nationnow/la-na-nn-harvard-bomb-threat-all...
    Dec 16, 2013 · Following a report of explosives in four Harvard University buildings that led to evacuations during finals, university police late Monday …


Harvard Science Center Bomb Scare


December 16, 2013  Four buildings at Harvard University were evacuated and morning final exams were canceled Monday after the school said it had "unconfirmed" reports of explosives. 

 latest in a series of security scares at U.S. schools and universities. Three days ago a Colorado high school student intent on confronting a teacher opened fire at his school, severely wounding a classmate before killing himself.


.Update


@GretchenCarlson : Prosecutors: Harvard student DID send fake bomb threat to get out of final exam! Proper punishment? @ArthurAidala @JonnaSpilborLaw 2ET 4 hours ago
@thejimjams@thejimjams : #Harvard student to face federal charges for #bomb #hoaxhttp://t.co/NNYwJQKqGP 4 hours ago

Harvard student to face federal charges for bomb hoax - Washington Times

A Harvard University student is due to make his initial appearance in federal court on Wednesday to face charges related to what prosecutors are saying was a fake bomb threat to escape exams. ...
www.washingtontimes.com
@WashTimes@WashTimes : #Harvard student to face federal charges for #bomb #hoaxhttp://t.co/rmbl4RAVqN 4 hours ago
@bostonpolice@bostonpolice : Police Arrest One for Assault & Battery in the area of Harrison Ave. and Thorndike St. #bpdD4 http://t.co/xF1wLZDIIX 4 hours ago

Police Arrest One for Assault & Battery in the area of Harrison Ave. and Thorndike St. — bpdnews.com

  At about 2:51 PM, Tuesday, December 17, 2013, while on patrol, officers from District D-4 (South End) on sited an Assault and Battery in the area of Harrison Ave. and Thorndike St., Roxbury. On arrival, officers observed several Good Samaritans standing around the male suspect, preventing him from leaving the scene. Officers were advised that the suspect was in the process of assaulting the pregnant female victim, while also trying to rob her of her handbag. The victim stated that upon leaving a convenience store in the area, the suspect approached her and asked her for money, the victim stated that she had then become nervous and refused to give the suspect money. The suspect then became aggressive and grabbed at the victim’s handbag. The victim managed to pull her handbag from the suspect and flee the scene. Upon fleeing, the suspect gave chase to the victim and proceeded to assault her. Several Good Samaritans in the area assisted the victim and detained the suspect until ...
bpdnews.com
@dancow@dancow : Harvard student who sent fake bomb threat was caught despite having used Tor:http://t.co/KbY7YuJANJ 4 hours ago

That Bomb-Hoaxing Harvard Student Was Using Tor, But They Caught Him Anyway - On The Media

On Monday, Harvard University administrators received an email claiming that bombs had been placed in two buildings on campus. The ... ...
www.onthemedia.org
@DailymotionUSA@DailymotionUSA : Harvard student says he made bomb threat to avoid examhttp://t.co/IWUI38Peeo 5 hours ago

Harvard Student Says He Made Bomb Threat to Avoid Exam - Video Dailymotion

20-year-old Kim Eldo told an FBI agent and a Harvard officer he sent the fake bomb threat that evacuated campus Monday.Powered by NewsLook.com Producer : Newsy ...
www.dailymotion.com
@whiotv@whiotv : Harvard student says he made bomb threat to avoid exam MORE:http://t.co/hMGd5LZfJ9 6 hours ago

Harvard student says he made bomb threat to avoid exam | www.whio.com

A 20-year-old Harvard student has confessed to making the fake bomb threat that evacuated campus Monday — all in an effort to avoid a final exam. ...
oak.ctx.ly
@pbpost@pbpost : Video: Harvard student now faces up to 5 years in prison after fake bomb threat Monday to avoid final exam http://t.co/9L8xBn6mh3 7 hours ago

Harvard Student Says He Made Bomb Threat To Avoid Exam | www.palmbeachpost.com

20-year-old Kim Eldo told an FBI agent and a Harvard officer he sent the fake bomb threat that evacuated campus Monday. ...
www.palmbeachpost.com


 And In the Least Shocking News Ever: Police Arrest An Asian Kid From Harvard For Calling In the Fake Bomb Threat To Get Out of Finals Barstool Sports: Boston


 BOSTON (CBS) — A Harvard student has been charged in connection with Monday’s bomb threats which shut down four Har
Read more at boston.barstoolsports.com

http://www.thecrimson.com/article/2013/12/17/eldo-kim-threat-profile/
Kim lived as a freshman last academic year in Thayer Hall, one of the four buildings he is charged with threatening to target. He also has an older sister who serves as a proctor in Weld Hall, according to a former Weld resident.

MULTIMEDIA

Eldo Kim

Eldo Kim

“I find it very shocking that he would actually do this,” said Edward Cho ’16, who lived in Thayer with Kim last year.
Kim is not listed on the Harvard College Facebook or the University’s online directory. His entry in the freshman register for the Class of 2016 says he hails from Seoul, South Korea, and attended Kamiak High School in Mukilteo, Wash. On the website of Harvard’s Institute for Quantitative Social Science, aprofile of Kim from last academic year described him as a prospective psychology concentrator, while a cached version of Kim’s taken-down LinkedIn profile identifies him as a psychology and sociology concentrator. The Crimson could not immediately confirm Kim’s concentration.
Friends and acquaintances, as well as online records, indicate that Kim was involved in a variety of campus activities, ranging from research to student media publications.
Kim’s taken-down LinkedIn profile lists him as research assistant at the University’s inter-school Behavioral Insights Group Research Lab, a community teaching assistant for the HarvardX course CB22x: “The Ancient Greek Hero,” and a research scholar at the IQSS. The profile also lists Eleganza, the Harvard Independent, and the Harvard International Review as campus organizations in which he has been involved.
Vivian E. Lee ’14, an executive producer for Eleganza, wrote in an email Tuesday evening that Kim was involved with Eleganza’s fashion committee. Lee wrote that she “only knew him in the context of Eleganza” but that she “knew him as quiet but very sweet.”
“He always took the time to say hi in the dining hall and had some great ideas to contribute for the show,” Lee wrote. “Given my opinion of him, it was quite a shock to find out that he was responsible for the bomb hoax.”
Kim is listed as a senior staff writer on the staff box of the Independent’s Sept. 19 issue. Angela Y. Song ’14, the Independent’s president, confirmed in a phone interview Tuesday evening that Kim was a writer for the publication.
Christine R. Wolfe ’14, the Independent’s outgoing editor-in-chief, said in a phone interview Tuesday that few if any on the paper’s staff knew Kim well. Kim came to meetings infrequently, she said, “but when he did come, he was nice.”

http://www.thecrimson.com/article/2013/12/17/student-charged-bomb-threat/ UPDATED: December 18, 2013, at 12:36 a.m.
Harvard College sophomore and Quincy House resident Eldo Kim, 20, has been charged in connection with Monday’sunfounded bomb threat against four buildings on Harvard’s campus and will appear in U.S. District Court for a preliminary hearing Wednesday morning. 

WEBSITE OF THE INSTITUTE FOR QUANTITATIVE SOCIAL SCIENCE

Eldo Kim, a Harvard sophomore, has been charged in relation to Monday’s unfounded bomb threat on Harvard’s campus.
Kim could face a maximum five years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine if charged under the bomb hoax statute

Cover story: Kim told authorities he was “motivated by a desire to avoid a final exam scheduled to be held on [Monday].”

emails were sent using Guerrilla Mail, a free online application that generates temporary anonymous email addresses. Additionally, Kim used a free application called TOR, which generates a random anonymous IP address for temporary use that is difficult for law enforcement to trace.
According to the affidavit, authorities were able to determine that Kim had accessed TOR on the Harvard network before sending the email.

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Because a criminal record is that much better than a low grade?







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      This is a serious felony, right up there with armed robbery. We are talking five years in federal prison, years more of supervision and a quarter million dollar fine. Yet there are people here calling this a "prank" or the like. It's amazing. It's just as amazing how many of the comments to this article and people on campus suppose that this was a one-off bad decision by this guy. Why assume that? That is highly unlikely. It is, IMO, far more likely that this is an ingrained personality trait, acted out previously and probably reinforced by family. This may be the first time he was caught and the incident could not be covered up.
      Any place serious about controlling cheating (and this is an extreme form of cheating, very much of a piece with the prior Harvard Congress cheating scandal) would immediately launch a detailed examination of this guy's entire record, right back to his Harvard application and beyond. Private investigators are probably in order. It is highly unlikely someone who would do something like this does not have a track record of seriously anomalous incidents or outrageous events in his previous life. It's pretty obvious this guy had experience with this kind of thing. This is not his first time. To assume otherwise without investigation is irresponsible. Harvard should want to know WHAT WENT WRONG. But Harvard won't do any of that because Harvard is repeatedly and utterly irresponsible when it comes to cheating.








    Your argument is rich with supposition and plagued by logical fallacies.... Also, you seem to advocate for guilty until proven innocent- it is the other way around in this country, sweetheart.







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        That's a criminal law standard, sweetheart, and not relevant here. Criminal conviction standards and assumptions rarely matter in Harvard's dealings with its students. Those are standards that are used to determine if one is fit to walk the streets, not sit in a Harvard classroom. And the irrelevancy of criminal standards and assumptions doesn't start with Harvard. For example, a civil jury found OJ Simpson killed his former wife, but a criminal jury found him not guilty. We have no obligation to assume OJ didn't kill his wife any more than that civil jury had such an obligation. Nor does anyone have an obligation to assume Richard Nixon committed no high crime and misdemeanor merely because he was never impeached, or that Bill Clinton was blameless merely because his impeachment did not result in conviction and removal. And perhaps you will recall that sexual assault charges can result in Harvard undergraduates being "dismissed" (that's "kicked out" in ordinary English) on a mere showing of "preponderance of the evidence."
          • Look, there's no doubt he did it, he's confessed.
            The point is why on earth supposedly smart Harvard kids are calling this just a prank or minor transgression? Huh???
            If that is a widespread view at Harvard, then Harvard needs to make some drastic changes in its admission standards, because its students are almost incapable of thought.
            Reminds me of the Paperchase when Kingsfield says "You come in here with heads full of mush and leave here thinking like lawyers."
            Look like H has it's work cut out for it with this group of scholars.






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                you have an elaborate narrative about this individual, but you sound like you are making it all up in the spirit of anger.






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                    He confessed to the FBI, Cheese. Is he "making it all up" too?
                    What's more, even the little bit more we know about him suggests a propensity towards dishonesty. The Boston Globe reports:
                    "On an undated biography on the website for Harvard’s Institute for Quantitative Social Science, Kim identified himself as ... a writer for the Harvard International Review... One of the editors-in-chief of the review, junior Mathilde Montpetit of Boston, said Kim went through an introductory process—writing an article and doing sample editing—as a freshman early last year, then resigned."
                    There's plenty of evidence warranting a deep investigation of this confessed federal felon, including his application to Harvard and his Harvard record. Your inclination to apologize for him says more about you than it says about this incident.






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                  Nancy Morris, really? If this guy has experience with this sort of thing and is smart enough to get into Harvard, I think he would have been sure to not make the threat from the school network. The threat appears to be an act of desperation, as evidenced by his email sent Saturday night about the course, his shoddy execution, and the insanely high stakes. Furthermore, the Harvard Infirmary is open 24/7, and he could have had an easy out by going there.
                  The assertions that Harvard is not doing anything to investigate the kid's background are both unsubstantiated by evidence and also peripheral to the issue at hand. I went to the University of Virginia for college post 9/11, and one of the Jefferson Scholars (full-ride recipients) once made a bomb threat because he wanted to delay a final. Much like the situation at Harvard on Monday, buildings were evacuated, authorities were on the scene, and other students' exam schedules were interrupted. Much like Eldo Kim, the guilty party admitted to his crime. Unlike Eldo Kim, he admitted his guilt to school authorities and not the police. The punishment? One year away from UVA, with mental health treatment. No legal consequences. No joke.
                  So yes, Boston is more vulnerable given the recent marathon bombings; Kim's threats were scarier and more likely to come into fruition (UVA received a string of fake bomb threats at that time); and Harvard is significantly more high profile than UVA. Nonetheless, authorities at UVA thought that [name redacted] deserved a second chance, to the extent that they allowed him to finish his degree and did not release his name. To call Harvard uniquely irresponsible and morally reprehensible for not taking more action is 2) to fail to recognize the standard response of academic institutions to such tragic behavior; 2) a claim that is unsupported by facts, as Harvard has not publicly addressed its intended course of action/inaction.






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                      Actually, I completely disagree. His acts to me speak more of likely routine and habit, not desperation. Not the routine and habit of bomb threats, but of cheating when he thought he would not get the best possible result.
                      He was caught on a technicality. If he had launched his emails from a neighboring Starbucks he'd likely be sitting pretty right now. But he used Harvard wireless to send his emails to an anonymizing website, and Harvard just had to match up incoming and outgoing messages. That a psychology major would make such a mistake is not surprising at all. Whoever clued him in on the technique probably forgot to mention the point, or maybe this guy just didn't hear that part. In any event, it's not much of a reason to classify a premeditated felony as an "act of desperation." Please. This is a class in which it is said that nobody ever fails if they just show up. Kids in Calcutta are "desperate;" Harvard students who do things like this are just repulsive cheaters.
                  12/18/2013

                  Harvard bomb scare forces evacuations, halts final exams

                  USA TODAY - ‎3 minutes ago‎
                  Four buildings at Harvard University were evacuated and morning final exams were canceled Monday after the school said it had "unconfirmed" reports of explosives.

                  Report of possible explosives prompts Harvard University evacuation - by Joe Kemp
                  Harvard partially evacuated amid reports of explosives on campus - by Matt Pearce

                  The Huffington Post UK
                    -  Google+
                  BREAKING: Harvard University Reports Possible Explosives On FOUR Sites, Orders Evacuation By  + Lucy Sherriff   Harvard University has ordered a mass evacuation following unconfirmed reports of explosives at four sites on its campus. A notice was posted on the emergency section of the institution's website ordering Science Center, Thayer, Sever, and Emerson to be evacuated, while the university's Twitter account issued alerts.  More info here:http://huff.to/18uWzsm 



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