BOSTON (WHDH) - An incident at Northeastern University that was reported as a detonation is now being investigated as a hoax, 7NEWS sources said.
The university said a package that arrived at Holmes Hall, where the school has its virtual reality center, detonated around 7 p.m. Tuesday night when a 45-year-old staff member opened it, injuring his hand. FBI agents and the Boston Police Bomb Squad later arrived and scoured Holmes Hall for hours after the incident was first reported.
Sources said that the staff member is standing by his account as officials investigate the incident as a hoax.
Some students are shocked at the possibility it being staged.
“You’re kind of a sick individual to make a hoax out of something that is a very real possibility,” said Tre Jones.
The package, described as a Pelican brand-style case, didn’t contain explosives. 7NEWS sources said instead that the case had been pressurized so when it opened, it detonated. Sources confirmed a crumpled one-page letter dated from Tuesday accompanied the package, which was addressed to the lab manager in the building and railed against virtual reality and Mark Zuckerberg, the founder of Facebook. Sources said the letter mentioned two other scenes, but no explosives were reported there.
Many students were rattled by the incident Tuesday, which prompted nearby buildings to be evacuated and required students to shelter in place.
“It’s a lot of anxiety,” said one student.
“It was very nerve-wracking,” said another.
A second suspicious package did not detonate.
University officials continue to emphasize that the campus is safe and secure, and have made counselors available for students troubled by the incident as students returned to class Wednesday.
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