Northeastern University was hit by a package that burst at its door. The 45-year old male employee sustained minor injuries to his hand and had to be taken to the hospital.
WBZ-TV News Anchor David Wade tweetedWBZ I-Team sources claim the Northeastern University explosion was caused by a package in a Pelican case. It contained a manifesto ranting against virtual reality, Mark Zuckerberg and Facebook.
Holmes Hall, which is home to Women’s Gender and Sexuality Research program and campus journalism department, also houses the Virtual Reality club and labs for immersive media (VR), according to users on Twitter.
Within hours of the incident, social media users began to speculate that the explosion was meant for Northeastern University Virtual Reality.
The theory may not be proven, but a member of the group claimed that VR and Zuckerberg were at the root cause of the attacks due to their newfound dependence on virtual platforms in the midst of the pandemic.
DailyMail.com’s correspondents stated that it was possible for some individuals (not Northeastern University students) to have become dependent on virtual reality in order to socially interact after losing in-person communication due the quarantine.
“We do not yet know the psychological consequences of this, as it is a new area.
It’s possible for someone to be hurt from a VR interaction. They may want to get angry I suppose. However, this is a guess and it seems unusual to target Northeastern specifically.
Northeastern University received a package that burst at its door. It sent a 45-year old male employee to the hospital. The package was in a “Pelican Case” and included a strange’manifesto.
Pelican is a tough, often waterproof black bag with an inner lining that can be used to carry delicate items.
According to twitter users, Holmes Hall is home to the Women’s Gender and Sexuality studies program and the Journalism department.
Social media quickly exploded with theories that the blast may have targeted Northeastern University Virtual Reality.
The theory may not be proven, but a member of the group claimed that “VR and Zuckerberg” could be the cause. He said this because of his newfound dependence on virtual platforms in the middle of the pandemic.
Northeastern University reported that the package that exploded Tuesday evening at 7.18 pm was delivered to campus. It had been opened by a staff member.
It was delivered to the Leon Street building at around 7pm on Tuesday night.
Holmes Hall was evacuated. The Northeastern University Police Department tweets that the area is now secure, three hours after it happened.
Northeastern University claimed that the package was detonated at 7.18pm on Tuesday after it had been delivered to campus.
Authorities told NBC Boston that the package was delivered to Leon Street at 7 p.m. Tuesday. It detonated soon afterward.
Northeastern University Police Department tweets that Holmes Hall was secured less than 10 minutes after it happened.
According to police, the male staff member was a 45 year-old man who suffered a slight hand injury. He was then taken to hospital.
Boston Police Department bomb squad says a search turned up a second identical package, which was later declared safe.
Boston Police, Boston Bomb Squad and Boston Fire responded quickly to the Leon Street emergency at 7.20pm.
Michelle Wu, Boston’s Mayor, stated that she takes the situation’very seriously’ during a media conference.
Northeastern University stated that the package which detonated Tuesday night at 7.18pm had been delivered on Tuesday and was activated when opened by a male 45-year old staff member.
Authorities cannot rule out terror after an explosion at Boston University that left one injured and was taken to hospital.
Northeastern University Police Department posted that Holmes Hall had been secured three hours following the incident. It also asked people not to go near the location.
Harvard University shared that they were working with authorities in order to secure their campus
Massachusetts Institute of Technology posted a tweet asking people to report all suspicious activity
Mayor Wu said, “This city is home for everyone’s youth, from our youngest learners all the way to our college student and staff.”
“So, we want to emphasize that safety and well-being for all our youth here is of paramount priority.
Holmes Hall was evacuated. A notification was sent out to Boston University at 7.55pm asking people to stay clear of the area.
The university informed Northeastern students shortly after 8.30pm that evening classes at Shillman Hall (Health Sciences Center), Ryder Hall (5th Floor), Kariotis Hall (4th Floor), Kariotis Hall (3rd Level), Dockser Hall, Dockser Hall, West Village F) were cancelled due to ongoing investigations.
Harvard, The Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard were also concerned.
MIT tweets: ‘MIT Alert! Explosion at Northeastern U. MIT Police urge all MIT Community members to be careful. Any suspicious packages should be reported immediately.
Jacob Isaacs (pictured) was in Holmes Hall at the time of evacuation and said that there had been confusion as to what caused it.
Isaacs said that the first responders arrived and they didn’t hear any explosions.
No clear clues have been found to the mysterious explosion that injured a Northeastern employee aged 45.
Harvard University tweeted: ‘Harvard Alert: HUPD is aware of reports of a detonation of a suspicious package at Northeastern.
“We’re working closely with the Harvard Police Department and are increasing our patrols around Harvard campus.
“Out of an abundance of caution, we encourage community members to immediately report any suspicious activity to 617-495-1212.”
7NewsReporter speaking with authorities said that the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI), Boston Police and Terrorism were currently cooperating.
‘FBI currently coordinating with Boston Police… Sources say too early to say whether this is related to terrorism or not,’ the tweet read.
Boston Police told NBC Boston that the explosion took place on campus at Holmes Hall on Leon Street and the building was evacuated.
The Boston Bomb Squad, Boston Police, Boston fire and Boston EMS responded to the Leon Street incident and the FBI is also involved
Boston Emergency Medical Services reported the blast on Twitter and stated that at most one person had been admitted to hospital in the earlier hours of the night.
Jacob Isaacs, a student in Holmes Hall at the time of its evacuation, told 7News that there had been some confusion over what happened during the event.
Issacs stated, “We were at class when we noticed two police officers walking through the building. Then, once we looked out the window, we notice a fire truck lit by its lights.”
“Our teacher says, “I have to see what’s happening.” He sees the fire truck moving and sees the police car out front. Instantly, the fire alarm goes off.
Isaacs said that the first responders arrived on scene and they didn’t hear any explosions.
Investigations into the incident continues with Northeastern University Police Department asking people to ‘avoid the area.’
As investigations continue into this matter, it is not clear where the package originated.