One person was taken to the hospital Tuesday evening after a package delivered to a Northeastern University building exploded when it was opened, school officials confirmed.
A second package was also found and made safe by the bomb squad, Boston police confirmed at a news conference Tuesday night.
Northeastern University said the package was delivered to Holmes Hall on Leon Street around 7 p.m. and detonated when a staff member opened it. That person, a 45-year-old man, suffered minor injuries to his hand and was taken to hospital.
After a package exploded at a Northeastern University building on Tuesday, Boston police, the FBI, Mayor Michelle Wu and others gave updates on the investigation.
The Boston Bomb Squad, Boston Police, Boston Fire and Boston EMS responded and the building was evacuated. An FBI spokesman said they were assisting in the investigation.
When asked if there was a threat to the general public at Tuesday night’s press conference, police said the investigation was ongoing and updates would be provided later. Northeastern University police stressed that the campus is safe while investigators work.
“It is very important to note that our campus is safe and we will maintain a safe campus in perpetuity,” Northeastern University Police Chief Michael Davis said.
Security expert Todd McGhee, a former Massachusetts State Police trooper, hopes investigators can learn information from the device despite the explosion.
“Even in an explosion, the components of the device don’t necessarily disintegrate,” McGhee told NBC10 Boston. “So there will be tangible evidence that will be collected and then, in a sense, reassembled to a point where you can understand all the components that were used.”
The incident has put the community on alert. Other colleges have issued warnings for students to report anything suspicious.
“I take very seriously that this city is home to everyone’s young people … we want to make sure to emphasize that this is the highest priority, the safety and well-being of all our young people here,” said the mayor of Boston, Michelle Wu. .
“We are monitoring the situation at Northeastern and stand ready to work with the university and our law enforcement partners on any prosecutions that may develop,” Suffolk County District Attorney Kevin Hayden said in a communicated “The quick and thorough response by Boston Police and other agencies is the start of a thorough investigation to determine exactly what happened here.”
Boston police also responded to a report of another suspicious package on Huntington Avenue in the Museum of Fine Arts area. Police later said it was determined to be unfounded.
Cambridge police were called to investigate a suspicious package in the 1100 block of Cambridge Street Tuesday night, but said it was determined to be an empty, abandoned suitcase.
Officials encourage anyone who sees anything suspicious to call 911.
Authorities were investigating Tuesday night after a package delivered to the building exploded.
Jacob Isaacs said he was in class in Holmes Hall when they were evacuated.
“We were in class and then we saw two policemen walking around the building and as soon as we looked out the window we saw a fire truck with its lights on, and then our teacher said to me, ‘I have to see what’s going on passing by. ,’ and he sees the fire truck go and there’s a police car outside and how that happened, instantly the fire alarm starts going off,” he said.
Isaacs added that they didn’t hear anything that sounded like an explosion before they saw first responders arrive.
“The police presence immediately put up police tape and told everyone there to get back to the high street, and then one of the ladder trucks took a ladder up to the roof of the building and a firefighter with what I think was an axe. went up to the top of the building,” said Ryan Di Corpo, another student who evacuated.
Eliane Mejía, a student at the Northeastern University, was there when it all happened.
“There was a bomb that just went off and we stayed here to see what else was going on and then they started evacuating that building. Obviously it’s scary, but I also want to know what’s going on, that’s why I’m staying,” he said. in Spanish.
Another student, Rafael Arias, was on the other side of the building at the time of the explosion.
“We just saw all the police cars coming and the sound was really scary, I’m scared for my safety because there’s a lot of rooms in this building so I’m really scared. I was next door in another building until they sent me the alerts, we didn’t know what was going on,” he said in Spanish.
Northeastern’s evening classes at Behrakis, Shillman, Ryder, Kariotis, Dockser and West F have been canceled.
The scene remains active and people are being warned to avoid the area.
NBC10 Boston and NECN have a crew on the scene and will provide updates as they arrive in the newsroom.