Meet The Man Who Claims To Be Behind The ROM Bomb Hoax

cnredd · #1 (**permalink**) 11-30-2007, 06:40 PM

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His name is Thorarinn Jonsson, and he's a student at the Ontario College of Art and Design (OCAD) on McCaul St. He also says he's something else - the man behind a bomb hoax that shut down an AIDS fundraiser at the Royal Ontario Museum and a busy section of Bloor St. West on Wednesday night. The prank cost CANFAR, the Canadian Foundation for Aids Research, at least $100,000.

Jonsson admits he didn't expect the reaction his school project engendered and he didn't know anything about the charity event going on near the laneway where his "art" was hidden. It consisted of a device that resembled a real bomb, with wires and a circuit board, stuffed into an LCBO bag. It was accompanied by a note that read "this is not a bomb." But authorities couldn't take any chances.

The 25-year-old remains relatively unrepentant about an escapade that also cost police hours of their valuable time and an equal amount in rustling up the necessary experts and equipment to defuse the phony explosive.

"I expected the police to immediately realize what they were dealing with," he claims. Two videos surrounding the hoax were posted on YouTube, one here, the other here. One shows a girl going through the ROM when an apparent explosion takes place. Jonsonn calls it part of his final assignment for the school.

"I'm taking something that's clearly a sculpture. It's clearly not a bomb. But by taking it out of context and putting it into another context, by leaving it lying around ... it suddenly takes on a different meaning."

Does he feel bad about the effect it had? "I think the piece is pretty important ... Police waste their time all the time doing all kinds of things."

Is there no common sense left in the world?...

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