Updated at 5:11 PM: Investigators are currently looking into the possibility that the bombing was staged after reportedly finding inconsistencies in the injured employee’s statement.
Authorities have also disclosed to the media that the man’s injuries do not match wounds caused by an explosion, according to ABC News.
A package with an anti-technology note that was mailed to Northeastern University exploded on campus.
The 45-year-old staff member who opened the bomb at approximately 7 PM on Sept. 13 in Holmes Hall was injured in the explosion. He has been hospitalized with minor injuries.
The building, which houses the school’s creative writing program and immersive video lab, was evacuated.
According to WBTZ-TV Anchor David Wade, the package was in a Pelican case with pull-down latches and “contained a manifesto railing against virtual reality and Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg.”
UPDATE: WBZ I-Team sources say the package that exploded at Northeastern University was in a “Pelican case”and contained a manifesto railing against virtual reality and Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg
— David Wade (@davidwade) September 14, 2022
The plastic case was reportedly pressurized but did not contain gunpowder.
A second suspicious package was found by the Museum of Fine Arts but was rendered safe by the bomb squad, reports The New York Post.
“We are going to be working, and continue to work, with all our campus security partners as well to make sure all the students here are safe, as well as the residents in the city,” said Boston Police Commissioner Michael Cox, who was sworn in on Aug. 15, in a statement to the media.
An investigation to the explosion is being conducted by the Boston Police and the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Joint Terrorism Task Force.
Northeastern University is located in downtown Boston. Roughly 16,000 undergraduate students attend the school.
“Events such as the incident that took place on our Boston campus last night can create or heighten anxiety for many of us,” David Madigan, the Provost and Senior Vice President of Academic Affairs, said in a message to students, faculty, and staff. “We would like to underscore what was communicated to our community last night: Multiple law enforcement agencies have determined that the campus is safe and secure.”
“The safety and security of our campus community is essential and remains our highest priority. We will continue to provide continuous updates as new information becomes available,” he added.
Neighboring universities, including Boston University, Harvard, and MIT, issued warnings to students and faculty, urging them to report any suspicious packages.
Northeastern resumed normal campus activities on the morning of Sept. 14.
According to KTLA, the explosion was “one of the first big scares in Boston since 2013, when two bombs planted near the finish line of the Boston Marathon killed three spectators and wounded more than 260 others.”
“I take very seriously that this city is home to everyone’s young people, from our littlest learners up to our college students and university staff,” said Boston Mayor Michelle Wu at a press conference, per WCVB Boston. “So we want to make sure we emphasize that this is of the utmost priority: the safety and well-being of all of our young people here.”
