Only in New Jersey?

from AP:

A man walked through a screening checkpoint exit into the secure side of a terminal at one of the nation's busiest airports [Newark Liberty] on Sunday night [3 Jan 2010] , and flights were grounded for hours and passengers had to be re-screened while air safety officials searched for him.

(...)

The man wasn't found, but the TSA said its re-screening effort ensured every passenger was fully screened.

Hmmm, the man wasn't found, but everything was all right? Sounds like another --this shows the system worked--!!

See also the CNN report Thousands rescreened at Newark airport which includes a video and the text:

CNN's Alina Cho, who arrived at the airport Sunday night on a flight from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, described a hectic scene, saying many passengers who had already boarded outgoing flights had to get off planes to be rescreened.

Note also
http://ipbiz.blogspot.com/2010/01/sometimes-system-didnt-work.html

**UPDATE. The man in question was a Rutgers student.

from AP:

A man believed to have breached security to bid his girlfriend goodbye, triggering the shutdown of a busy Newark Airport terminal that led to snarled flights worldwide, was arrested in New Jersey and faces a trespassing charge and a fine of up to $500, punishment a senator says should be much harsher.

Haisong Jiang, 28, of Piscataway was taken into custody at 7:30 p.m. Friday [Jan. 8] at his home, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey said. He was questioned at the airport by Port Authority police, who arrested him, and released shortly after midnight.

(...)

Jiang, who is Chinese, is a doctoral student in a joint molecular biosciences program at Rutgers University, one of his roommates said early Saturday. He said Jiang was born in Jiangxi, China, and has been in the U.S. since 2004.