Los Angeles County鈥檚 bomb squad blew up a graduate student鈥檚 masters thesis
earlier this month, fearing it was the latest in a series of letter bombs.
Takash Kawai, a music student at California State University, posted a
50-page musical score, complete with cassette, to an address on campus. The
package, bulky, and with no return address, set off alarm bells with
university authorities, who are on the alert for suspicious packages
following the recent maiming of two science professors by letter bombs.
The package was moved to a field, and the bomb squad summoned. 鈥榃e thought
that all they were going to do was look at it and say 鈥榗ome on, you guys鈥�,鈥�
says Susan Sloan of the university police.
Instead, while TV news helicopters circled above, the squad detonated the
package, sending a flurry of white paper into the air. Fortunately Kawai,
who is in Japan visiting his family, has another copy of his work in his
computer. He has been given extra time to submit his thesis.
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