BOSTON (WHDH) - Trial proceedings began Monday for a former Northeastern University employee charged with staging a hoax explosion on campus in 2022.
Jason Duhaime, 45, was arrested and charged on Oct. 4, 2022, exactly three weeks after he allegedly called 911 to say he was injured by sharp objects that flew out of a plastic case he opened in Northeastern’s Immersive Media Lab, according to the US Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts.
The 911 call prompted an emergency response on Sept. 13, 2022 and kicked off an investigation involving multiple agencies, including the FBI. Authorities sealed off the media lab for hours and emergency crews evacuated students and staff from nearby buildings.
One day after the investigation began, sources told 7NEWS authorities were investigating the incident as a hoax.
After a grand jury indictment, the US Attorney’s Office said Duhaime reported collecting two “Pelican” cases from an on-campus mail area earlier in the day. When he opened one of the cases, he said, “very sharp” objects flew out and injured his arms.
Prosecutors said Duhaime “also allegedly reported that the case contained an anonymous ‘violent note’ directed at the Lab.”
The incident made national news and prompted a series of campus-wide alerts from the Northeastern University Police Department, including one alert that described an “explosion.” As the investigation continued, though, prosecutors said officers found the Pelican case that Duhaime said he opened was empty and undamaged.
Prosecutors said officers did not see any evidence of a “forceful or explosive discharge.” The area appeared normal and technicians did not find small objects or suspicious debris in the lab, according to the US Attorney’s Office.
Prosecutors said Duhaime made false statements to law enforcement after the incident and expressly denied fabricating his story about the case, the note, and his injuries.
Investigators said Duhaime left the note, himself, claiming Northeastern was working with Mark Zuckerberg to create a metaverse where people only communicate via headsets.
Northeastern officials confirmed Duhaime was fired from his role as the new technology manager at Northeastern after his allegedly false report but before his arrest.
In a new notice earlier this month, the federal court clerk said Duhaime’s trial is expected to last one week.
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