A second suspicious package at Northeastern was made safe.

Police and emergency personnel responded to Northeastern University Tuesday night.  The Associated Press/WCVB

A staff member was injured when a suspicious package exploded at Northeastern University Tuesday night, Boston police said. The scene has since shrunk. Boston police discovered a second suspicious package at Northeastern, which was safe, Police Chief Felipe Colon said at a news conference. The FBI is assisting in the investigation. Police responded to 39 Leon St. at 7:16 p.m. for a report of a possible explosive package. Upon arrival, they found an adult victim, confirmed to be a 45-year-old male Northeastern staff member. The package detonated when the staff member opened it, and the victim was taken to a local hospital with hand injuries for further evaluation, Colon said. According to the police, the injuries were minor. A message sent to students by the university confirmed that the location of the incident was Holmes Hall. The hall is part of a larger complex that houses Northeastern’s journalism school, communication studies, environmental science, gender and sexuality studies and international affairs departments, among others.
An additional university notice canceled Tuesday evening classes in buildings around Holmes. The university sent out an alert at 9:49 p.m. stating that “the scene is contained and the campus is safe,” adding that Boston Police and Northeastern Police are actively working to secure the area. Northeastern administration told students they expect the campus to be “open and fully operational” on Wednesday. Other schools, including MIT and Harvard, issued warnings to their students via social media. “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,” said Suffolk County District Attorney Kevin Hayden. A report of another suspicious package at the Museum of Fine Arts has been confirmed by Boston police. Police told Boston.com it was an “unrelated discarded item” that was not explosive. At a press conference, Boston Mayor Michelle Wu praised the “incredible effort” of emergency services to respond to the situation. “We want to emphasize that this is of the highest priority, the safety and well-being of all our young people here,” he said.

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