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Boy Arrested for Building Clock Gets a White House Invite From Obama

The White House is seen behind a dual layer of fencing on October 3, 2014. A new director has been appointed to head the Secret Service after a series of security breaches.

The White House is seen behind a dual layer of fencing on October 3, 2014. A new director has been appointed to head the Secret Service after a series of security breaches.

Photographer: Mandel Ngan/AFP/Getty Images
Terrence Dopp and Toluse Olorunnipa

Ahmed Mohamed thought he was building a clock, but it turned out to be a magnet for fear and misunderstanding. Now he’s got an invitation to tell his story at the White House.

President Barack Obama on Wednesday invited the 14-year-old high school freshman to attend Astronomy Night at the White House on Oct. 19. That came a day after police in Irving, Texas, arrested him after mistaking his engineering project for a bomb.