A 24-year-old male student at the Ontario College of Art and Design has been arrested and charged in connection with a bomb hoax Wednesday night at the Royal Ontario Museum.
Thorarinn Ingi Jonsson, who is from Iceland and in Canada on a student visa, was charged with mischief and nuisance. He has been released on $33,000 bail.
A suspicious package was left outside the ROM on Wednesday. Toronto police were called and a fundraising event for the Canadian Foundation for AIDS Research was cancelled.
Police said the package was made to look like three pipe bombs wrapped together.
A video posted online simulated an explosion at the museum.
College president Sara Diamond said the video was linked to a video production course at the school.
"The video was turned in as part of a school project," said Diamond. "One of our assistant deans who was extremely responsible let me know about the video and expressed concern that there was a link. And I looked at the video and talked with the assistant dean and felt that there was enough of a basis to go forward in contacting the police."
Diamond said two faculty members have been suspended with pay while the school investigates.
Jonsson said the entire episode was a conceptual art piece, including a plastic, wood and glass sculpture and a video.
Elissa Beckett, executive director of the Canadian Foundation for AIDS Research, said the cancellation of the gala cost the organization about $100,000.
