The 25-year-old Wakefield man who dropped off a backpack containing a rice cooker filled with confetti on Boylston Street just hours after the city commemorated the one-year anniversary of the Boston Marathon bombing will soon appear in Boston Municipal Court.
Self-described as a “performance artist,” Kevin “Kayvon” Edson was arrested last night in Back Bay shortly after parading down Boylston wearing a black veil and shouting “Boston Strong.” Officials closed off the block near the marathon finish line and detonated the bag around 9 p.m. local time.
Now Edson is in a world of shit.
A self-described “performance artist,” Kevin “Kayvon” Edson faces a list of charges that are still “being finalized,” officials said, but could include possession of a hoax device, threat to commit a crime, and disturbing the peace.
According to police, and video captured of what appears to be Edson, the suspect was seen walking barefoot toward the finish line just before 7 p.m. on Tuesday, shouting “Boston Strong” while wearing a black veil over his face. Edson was allegedly carrying a backpack, which he later dropped near the awning at the finish line. When police asked him what was in the bag, Edson reportedly told them, “a rice cooker.”
Police said at the time of Edson’s arrest that there were two bags located at the scene. For “precautionary reasons” special units from the department’s bomb squad were called in, along with a robot to inspect the items, and the bags were detonated, setting off two loud booms, about an hour apart, not far from wear the attacks occurred last year.
BoMag notes that Edson’s Facebook profile has undergone some changes since news broke last night, including listing his school as the Fashion Institute of New York instead of Massachusetts College of Art. Edson resides in Mission Hill.
Here’s one of Edson’s videos, which in November he used to try and get the attention of Lady Gaga. In the clip, which is half performance art and half synth-pop song, he appears to be wearing the same black veil he wore yesterday on Boylston.