A hard plastic briefcase that exploded on the campus of Northeastern University in Boston, causing minor injuries to a staff member, contained a rambling note that lashed out at virtual reality and also referenced Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg, he said. on Wednesday a police officer.
Investigators are still trying to figure out the reason for the explosion Tuesday night and understand why the package was sent specifically to Northeastern, the agent said.
Investigators are also trying to determine the specific mechanism of the device and whether the package contained gunpowder, he added. The official might not discuss details of the investigation publicly and spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity.
The official described the briefcase as a “Pelican-style” briefcase. This company makes hard cases designed to protect sensitive equipment.
A spokesman 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 like the incident that took place on our Boston campus last night can create or increase anxiety for many of us,” the post, credited to Chancellor David Madigan and Vice Chancellor Kenneth Henderson, said. “We would like to underscore what was communicated to our community last night: Multiple law enforcement agencies have determined the campus to be safe and secure.”
The campus opened normally for classes and other activities on Wednesday.
Counseling and other support services were made available to students, faculty, and staff.
The package delivered to Holmes Hall detonated just following 7 p.m. Tuesday when a staff member opened it, the university said in a statement. The staff member, a 45-year-old man, was taken to hospital with minor injuries to his hand, police said. His name was not made public.
The Boston bomb squad neutralized a second package near the city’s Museum of Fine Arts, which is near the Northeastern campus.
Holmes Hall is home to the university’s creative storytelling program and its women’s, gender and sexuality studies programme.
Northeastern is a private university located in downtown Boston with regarding 16,000 students.
___
Associated Press writers Alanna Durkin Richer and Mark Pratt in Boston contributed to this report.
