Current:Home > MyThe explosion at Northeastern University may have been staged, officials say-LoTradeCoin
The explosion at Northeastern University may have been staged, officials say
View Date:2024-12-24 07:19:16
Federal officials are examining whether the employee who reported an explosion at Northeastern University may have lied to investigators and staged the incident, law enforcement officials said Wednesday.
Investigators identified inconsistencies in the employee's statement and became skeptical because his injuries did not match wounds typically consistent with an explosion, said one official.
The officials could not discuss details of the investigation publicly and spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity.
The Northeastern staff member said late Tuesday the hard plastic case exploded on the campus in Boston, causing minor injuries, according to authorities.
The case contained a rambling note that railed against virtual reality and also referenced Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg, a law enforcement official said. No explosive materials were found and they do not believe the package was sent through the U.S. Postal Service, the official said.
The official described the case as a "Pelican-style" case. Pelican is a company that makes hard cases designed to protect sensitive equipment.
A spokesperson for the FBI office in Boston declined to comment Wednesday, saying the investigation is "still very active and fluid."
Northeastern in a message posted on its website Wednesday said the campus is safe.
"Events such as the incident that took place on our Boston campus last night can create or heighten anxiety for many of us," said the post, credited to Provost David Madigan and Chancellor Kenneth Henderson. "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 campus opened normally for classes and other activities Wednesday. Counseling and other support services were made available for students, faculty and staff.
The package delivered to Holmes Hall detonated just after 7 p.m. Tuesday when a staff member opened it, the university had said in a statement. The staff member, a 45-year-old man, was taken to the hospital with minor injuries to his hand, police said. No name was made public.
Boston's bomb squad neutralized a second package near the city's Museum of Fine Arts, which is near Northeastern's campus.
Holmes Hall is home to the university's Immersive Media Labs, which according to its website includes technologies for design, development, and exploration of virtual worlds. It is also home to the creative writing program and the women's, gender and sexuality studies program.
Northeastern is a private university in downtown Boston with about 16,000 undergraduate students.
The case marks 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.
veryGood! (52379)
Related
- Congress is revisiting UFOs: Here's what's happened since last hearing on extraterrestrials
- Yusef Salaam, exonerated member of Central Park Five, declares victory in New York City Council race
- How Amanda Seyfried Is Helping Emmy Rossum With Potty Training After Co-Star Welcomed Baby No. 2
- How Many Polar Bears Will Be Left in 2100? If Temperatures Keep Rising, Probably Not a Lot
- Nelly will not face charges after St. Louis casino arrest for drug possession
- Environmental Refugees and the Definitions of Justice
- Kim Cattrall Reacts to Her Shocking Sex and the City Return
- Pregnant Claire Holt Shares Glowing Update on Baby No. 3
- 'He's driving the bus': Jim Harbaugh effect paying dividends for Justin Herbert, Chargers
- What is a Uyghur?: Presidential candidate Francis Suarez botches question about China
Ranking
- 'Full House' star Dave Coulier diagnosed with stage 3 cancer
- Trump Plan Would Open Huge Area of Alaska’s National Petroleum Reserve to Drilling
- Vintners and Farmers Are Breathing Easier After the Demise of Proposition 15, a ‘Headache’ at Best
- US Declares Greenhouse Gases a Danger to Public Health and Welfare
- Horoscopes Today, November 11, 2024
- What is malaria? What to know as Florida, Texas see first locally acquired infections in 20 years
- 40-Plus Groups Launch Earth Day Revolution for Climate Action
- Yusef Salaam, exonerated member of Central Park Five, declares victory in New York City Council race
Recommendation
-
Younghoo Koo takes blame for Falcons loss to Saints: 'This game is fully on me'
-
Tax Bill Impact: What Happens to Renewable Energy?
-
Kate Middleton Is Pretty in Pink at Jordan's Royal Wedding With Prince William
-
Pregnant Claire Holt Shares Glowing Update on Baby No. 3
-
McDonald's Version: New Bestie Bundle meals celebrate Swiftie friendship bracelets
-
Climate Change Could Bring Water Bankruptcy With Grave Consequences
-
Vintners and Farmers Are Breathing Easier After the Demise of Proposition 15, a ‘Headache’ at Best
-
Is Trump Holding Congestion Pricing in New York City Hostage?