A Northeastern University staff member suffered minor injuries on Tuesday after a package he opened exploded on the Boston campus.
The incident took place at Holmes Hall, which houses the creative writing program.
CNN reported that the box included a fragmented note critical of Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg and the partnership between academic institutions and virtual reality developers. The note was in a tough plastic container that detonated when the victim opened the latches and removed the top.
School authorities said law enforcement authorities were investigating after another suspicious parcel was discovered close to a well-known art gallery on the outskirts of Northeastern.
The investigation is ongoing.
Boston Police investigating suspicious package & “possible” detonation w/ minor injuries on Northeastern University campus. Students in journalism class in Holmes Hall told to evacuate #Boston25 pic.twitter.com/5T4FvZ63gR
— Drew Karedes (@DrewKaredes) September 14, 2022
FBI Enquiry
The FBI’s Boston Division said that it would dedicate all its available resources, including the Joint Terrorism Task Force, the evidence response team, and special agent bomb technicians, to the case.
At 7:55 PM, a warning was sent to the Boston campus advising people to stay away from the area and Holmes Hall was shut down.
“It’s very important to note that our campus is secure and we will maintain a secure campus in perpetuity,” Northeastern police chief Michael Davis said. “That’s our work and that’s what we continue to do, and we’ll be working with our partners here to get this resolved.”
Both Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, which are located on the opposite bank of the Charles River from Boston, said they were stepping up campus patrols as a precaution and requesting that staff and students report any suspicious activity.
The explosion on Tuesday was Boston’s first major bomb scare since 2013 when two bombs positioned close to the Boston Marathon finish line killed three spectators and injured more than 260.