Faisal Shahzad, the Times Square Bomber: Where Is He Now?

Faisal Shahzad was just one of a host of people who momentarily grabbed the spotlight in 2010 and dominated a news cycle or two while getting their 15 minutes of fame. In this series, AOL News is checking in on 25 of these newsmakers and giving them a 16th minute.

In a file picture taken on May 4, 2010 an image of terror suspect Faisal Shahzad is seen on a screen during a press conference at the US Justice Department in Washington, DC.

Jewel Samad, AFP / Getty Images

Faisal Shahzad may soon be incarcerated with failed shoe-bomber Richard Reid.

Faisal Shahzad Made News in 2010 When He: Planted a bomb in New York City's Times Square.

The Full Story: On May 1, a smoking, bomb-filled SUV was discovered in busy Times Square. Fortunately, the police bomb squad was on the scene before the explosives could injure or kill anyone. Street vendors were credited with promptly notifying the police of the suspicious vehicle. Faisal Shahzad may have thought he was getting away with his crime when he boarded a flight to Dubai two days later, but before the plane could take off, authorities arrested him. On June 17, a federal grand jury indicted Shahzad on 10 counts, including attempted use of a weapon of mass destruction. On June 21, he pleaded guilty to all counts.

What's Happened Since? Since the incident, details of Shahzad's life have been pieced together to paint a small portrait of the so-called "Times Square bomber." Shahzad was born in Pakistan in 1979, where he reportedly had a privileged upbringing. His father was an air force pilot in Pakistan. In January 1999, the younger Shahzad came to the United States on a student visa. He received a bachelor's degree in computer science and engineering and a master's in business administration from the University of Bridgeport in Connecticut, married a Pakistani-American and became a naturalized citizen in 2009. Living in Connecticut, Shahzad blended in, neighbors told The Hartford Courant. Later, though, he sparked suspicion and was under surveillance even before the bombing. But authorities said the surveillance "broke down" and almost allowed Shahzad to leave the country. Authorities note that Shahzad was incompetent and did not build the bomb to the devastating specifications of his Pakistani Taliban associates. In October, Shahzad was sentenced to life in prison. He is incarcerated in Manhattan's Metropolitan Correctional Center, and it is widely speculated that he will join other high-level terrorism inmates at a supermaximum security federal prison in Florence, Colo., dubbed the Alcatraz of the Rockies, which is also home to Richard Reid, the shoe bomber, and Zacarias Moussaoui, the so-called 20th terrorist of 9/11.

In His Own Words: During Shahzad's sentencing, the 31-year-old told a federal judge, "Brace yourselves -- the war with Muslims has just begun. Consider me the first droplet of the flood that will follow." He said the defeat of the U.S. is "imminent and will happen in the near future," The Wall Street Journal reported.

Video: FBI simulation; Shahzad sentenced

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