Breaking: 'Hoax Devices' Found At Several Boston Locations (Several 'Suspicous Packages' Found)

Boston.com ^ | January 31, 2007

[Howlin]

BOSTON -- Four "hoax devices" were found at several Boston locations Wednesday, hours after officials detonated a suspicious package on an elevated structure above the Sullivan Square Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority station.

The additional packages were found at the Boston University Bridge, the Longfellow Bridge and near the intersection of Stuart and Columbus streets. A device described by officials as a pipe bomb was found in the basement of the Tufts New England Medical Center at 185 Harrison Ave.

A spokesman for the Boston Police Department said that all of the packages appeared to be similar.

"Our device was not an active device. We are still treating the area as a crime scene. There were no injuries. Everyone was evacuated properly, and everyone now back to their locations," Tufts New England Medical Center's Brooke Hynes said.

Mayor Tom Menino said that all of the packages found posed no danger, but the incidents remained under investigation. Storrow Drive eastbound was shut down for a brief time, and the MBTA suspended service on the Red Line and planned to bus afternoon commuters between Kendall and Park Street stations.

Earlier Wednesday, the state police bomb squad was called and detonated the package in Sullivan Square just before 10 a.m. Officials said it contained an electronic circuit board with some components that were "consistent with an improvised explosive device," but they said it had no explosives. They determined that the device was not dangerous, but destroyed it as a precaution.

"We determined that this device, in particular, was not explosive," said MBTA Lt. Sal Venturelli.

He said MBTA police were told about the package by a transit passenger who spotted it on a column that supports Interstate 93. The parcel was located on an elevated structure above the bus way and below I-93 in the Charlestown section of Boston at about 8 a.m.

"This is a perfect example of our passengers taking part in Homeland Security," Venturelli said.

An investigation will be conducted into how the package got there and when, he said.

Train service on the Orange Line between Sullivan Square and Wellington stations was suspended in both directions. No injuries were reported.

The northbound side of I-93 was closed, causing significant traffic backups. Motorists were not allowed to access the highway near Sullivan Square coming up from the south.

[txhurl]

Thank God this is just a simple law enforcement issue /kerry.

[tioga]

It's not a prank post 9/11, it's terrorism with or without an actual bomb.

[BurbankKarl]

Looking for a suspicious male in a silver Hyundai in the area on Charlestown Bridge? (which is closed)

[Howlin]

Gosh, I am so behind; even Miss Marple knew about that.........LOL.

[tioga]

Mmmm. very interesting.

[tiredoflaundry]

I agree.

[mystery-ak]

[Jrabbit]

This is just perplexing. Is Fox showing what the pkgs. look like? Oh wait....Fox showing something on the side of a bridge. Looks like it's stuck to a piling?

[Howlin]

Yes, it is.

[cripplecreek]

[Andy'smom]

They seem to be finding them in college areas.

[tioga]

-where is skerry today? let's hope he and teddy safe /sarcasm

[Howlin]

It sort of looks like this:

[mystery-ak]

I have no idea what this is...my grandson is into Spongebob...LOL

[Howlin]

Quoting Scar in Lion King, "I'm surrounded by idiots."

[Uncle Ike]

" It shows "grown - up", (cough) cartoons "

Dreck!!

Bugs Bunny/Daffy Duck, and Rocky & Bullwinkle -- now *there's* adult cartoons!!

[LesbianThespianGymnasticMidget]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monday%2C_Tuesday%2C_Wednesday%2C_Thursday%2C_Friday%2C_Saturday%2C_Sunday#Err

Err (voiced by Matt Maiellaro) is second in command of the Mooninite Army (although he and Ignignokt are the only members of it). He is purple and smaller than Ignignokt. He is known for his trash talk, and he is usually the one who coerces Meatwad into going along with Ignignokt's schemes. In his most recent appearance, he claimed that the Mooninites only act the way they do due to a need for attention. He is a terrorist in Boston. Err fits precisely into the notch on Ignignokt's head, and when combined they can pool their firepower into the "Quad Laser", which is a stronger, yet slower, version of their standard lasers. A larger and more powerful version of this attack, the "Quad Glacier", which is done by replicating themselves into the form of a massive pistol, moves at a pace that barely registers to the naked eye. On January 31, 2007, a number of "devices" were found in the massachussetts area with the classic image of Err "shootin' the bird." These devices were essentially found to be a hoax.

[Howlin]

LOL.......I can almost tell his age!

[CharlesWayneCT]

THat show is funny. Last night they took the brain out of the meatball, and rolled him in broken glass to go pop a balloon-enemy. But without his brain the meatball couldn't respond coherently to requests, and they couldn't put his brain back because it was powering the other guy's sand-castle city.

Then the meatball got sucked into the vortex.

Other characters are a contained of french fries, and a milkshake (or is it a soda?).

[armymarinemom]

Yep. Howie sounded like he was talking to a complete loon. He gets his fair share of loon calls.