The package was delivered to Holmes Hall on Northeastern’s Boston campus Tuesday night. It blew up when an employee opened it just after 7pm The victim, a 45-year-old man, ended up with minor injuries to his hands and was taken to hospital for first aid. No students were injured. The man’s name has not been released. Investigators have not disclosed how the package was delivered or who it was intended for. Sources told WBZ-TV’s I-Team that the package was a Pelican case, which is made of a hard plastic material and is generally used to carry camcorders. Sources told WBZ’s Cheryl Fiandaca that cases are regularly found in the building and would not be unusual. Northeastern’s immersive video lab is located in Holmes Hall. Artificial intelligence is also taught there, and a virtual reality workshop meeting was held on Monday. The sources told Fiandaca that the staff member brought the case upstairs and put it on a shelf. When he opened it, he was under pressure and injured. Sources said the material in the case was not a firearm and contained no actual explosives For those asking… a Pelican style case would look something like this. pic.twitter.com/6qrfvgsBQp — David Wade (@davidwade) September 14, 2022 The I-Team’s sources said the case contained a typed note against virtual reality and artificial intelligence and called for a halt to all lab work on those issues. He also criticized Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg. CBS News described the memo as anti-tech. The building on Leon Street was evacuated and evening classes in nearby buildings were cancelled. A second similar package was found during a police investigation. They said it was “safe” from the bomb squad. Boston police are working with the Joint Terrorism Task Force to investigate the explosion. “We advise anyone out there who may see something to come forward and let us know and call 911,” said Boston Police Commissioner Michael Cox. #Sources: #Northeastern Staff member injured in small explosion after opening pelican case. #JTTF #FBI investigates rambling, threatening note demanding labs stop working on #AI #VirtualReality & the #Metaverse #WBZ #Boston — Cheryl Fiandaca (@CherylFiandaca) September 14, 2022 The FBI in Boston is offering its full support to the investigation and was seen back in the room on Wednesday. “We are fully united with our partners and remain committed to the safe resolution of this incident,” said Jason Cromartie, Assistant Special Agent in Charge of the FBI. The building was deemed safe Tuesday night and the campus was open Wednesday. “Multiple law enforcement agencies have determined that the campus is safe and secure. Classes, research and all other campus activities have resumed today,” the university said in a statement Wednesday. Northeastern now offers counseling to students and staff. For more information click here. Investigators are preparing to head to Holmes Hall at Northeastern University after a package explosion last night injured a 45-year-old employee. #wbz pic.twitter.com/k5NDD2HvSO — Beth Germano (@BethWBZ) September 14, 2022 Other colleges in the area urged campuses to be on alert. Wentworth Institute of Technology canceled classes until noon on Wednesday in order to investigate and secure the buildings. “It’s still an ongoing investigation,” Boston Mayor Michelle Wu said Wednesday. “I am very grateful to our local law enforcement partners at the university, the FBI who responded immediately and made sure all students and community members were safe. The scene was immediately secured and we continue to monitor it very closely.” CBSBoston.com Staff The CBS Boston team is a group of experienced journalists who bring you the content on CBSBoston.com.
