Crime and Punishment
Accused Fight Club Bomber Apprehended in NYC
Police have arrested a suspect in connection with a May 25 bombing outside a upper-Manhattan Starbucks, charging 17-year-old Kyle Shaw with first-degree arson and first-degree criminal possession of a weapon. His inspiration: Fight Club, a movie with whose anti-corporate politics Shaw was reportedly obsessed. High-five, Hollywood!
According to multiple sources, Shaw — who also once ran an underground fighting organization — bragged to classmates about planning and carrying out the Memorial Day-weekend attack. Investigators later found a news clipping about the explosion and DVD copy of Fight Club in his bedroom.
But don’t blame David Fincher alone (who declined comment); maybe another notoriously stroppy director bears some responsibility as well. “We were discussing existentialism in class, and he suggested we watch the movie as an example,” a classmate told the NYT. “We ended up watching I Heart Huckabees.” Speaking of bombs. Ahem.
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Posted 16 Jul 2009, 12:58 PM
What, hitting yourself in the face with a ball to achieve enlightenment wasn't working for you S.T.?
Posted 16 Jul 2009, 1:09 PM
That DVD copy of Fight Club better have been stolen, Kyle; otherwise, you're a phony.
Posted 16 Jul 2009, 1:11 PM
Every dude I know loves Fight Club, but can't explain why or talk about their appreciation, other than by saying that its fucking brilliant, man.
Posted 16 Jul 2009, 2:04 PM
Says Kyle Shaw, "Every since I was a kid I have always wanted to blow shit up. I knew someday I WOULD blow shit up and it wasn't till my friend loaned me his copy of "Fight Club" that I realized a Starbucks is a perfect place to blow the shit up."
Posted 16 Jul 2009, 2:21 PM
So... the first rule of bombing Starbucks was: "Tell everyone you're bombing Starbucks" ?
Posted 16 Jul 2009, 3:29 PM
Though I can see where Kyle Shaw was coming from, Starbucks is already doing quite a good job at destroying itself.
Posted 16 Jul 2009, 3:31 PM
I would have picked Coffee Bean.
Posted 16 Jul 2009, 3:31 PM
Michael Bay would like to see this kid's demo reel.
Posted 16 Jul 2009, 6:22 PM
His name... was Kyle Shaw... His name was Kyle Shaw. His name was Kyle Shaw.
Posted 19 Jul 2009, 12:28 AM
it's not about the movie..
it's all about kyle shaw him self...
Posted 19 Jul 2009, 1:00 AM
Uh...NO
Posted 19 Jul 2009, 1:04 AM
OMG you cant blame hollywood for this... S.T. VANAIRSDALE your an idiot. Dude I can't believe your a writer after this trash.
Posted 19 Jul 2009, 1:16 AM
If this would have been an original idea and not just an attempt to copy the movie, Kyle would be the most badass kid ever.
Posted 19 Jul 2009, 1:16 AM
This guy broke rule number 1 of fight club which is "You do not talk about fight club." He also broke this same rule with Project Mayhem! What an idiot...
Posted 19 Jul 2009, 1:19 AM
the first rule of fight club, you don't talk about fight club.
the second rule of fight club, YOU DO NOT TALK ABOUT FIGHT CLUB.
Posted 19 Jul 2009, 3:12 AM
Neither movie, not Fight Club or your attempt at a joke, shouldn't bear any of the blame.
Where's the personal accountability? Where were this kid's parents while he planned and staged all of this? If they paid any attention to raising their son at all, this wouldn't have happened.
Blame the parents for their failure to raise a human being, and quit finger wagging at the entertainment.
Posted 19 Jul 2009, 12:22 PM
"Investigators later found a news clipping about the explosion and DVD copy of Fight Club in his bedroom."
The kid had a DVD of Fight Club? Wow, that is damning evidence. The NY Times also mentions the discovery of, wait for it, sparklers!
I see why the newspaper clipping is a clue, but c'mon. You can search any 17-year-old's room and you'll find DVDs and fireworks.
Now, if he was burning his hand with chemicals, making napalm from gasoline and frozen orange juice concentrate, and chanting "His name was Robert Paulson...His name was Robert Paulson," that would have been something. But a DVD in the bedroom? That's weak.
Posted 19 Jul 2009, 1:29 PM
S.T. VanAirsdale, try a new profession. So your conclusion is that the movie shouldn't have been made? "High-five, Hollywood!" No, high five to you for blaming it on the movie. It's people like you that will push for censorship until you're unable to express your own bs opinions.
Posted 19 Jul 2009, 4:00 PM
Im glad the movie provided inspiration for one young impressionable teen.
Posted 09 Aug 2009, 3:19 AM
Thats brilliant, nice work on kicking off the revolution Kyle. Next stop Project Mayhem