Officials investigating whether Northeastern package explosion was staged by employee: What we know

Federal officials are investigating whether the Northeastern University employee who reported that a package exploded on campus Tuesday night may have staged the event.

Investigators said there were inconsistencies in the employee’s statement and found his injuries did not match what is typical of an explosion, officials told The Associated Press on the condition of anonymity to discuss the ongoing investigation.

Boston Police, the FBI and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives were investigating a possible motive for the incident at the university’s Holmes Hall that canceled Tuesday evening classes and closed part of campus.

The explosion put nearby Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology on alert as investigators responded to another suspicious package located near a prominent art museum. Classes were back in session at Northeastern on Wednesday.

Here’s what to know about the ongoing investigation.

What happened at Northeastern University?

Boston Police responded to Northeastern University’s 16,000-population campus around 7:20 p.m. Tuesday after a suspicious package exploded, the police department said in a statement.

It was delivered to the private university’s Holmes Hall around 7 p.m. and detonated when a staff member opened it, university spokesperson Shannon Nargi told USA TODAY in an email. Students at an evening class in Holmes Hall were evacuated when police and emergency services arrived.

Investigators located another suspicious package at an art museum in the area Tuesday night.

“The Boston Police Bomb Squad was able to render the package safe without further incident,” police said in a statement. 

Classes and activities resumed Wednesday after investigators deemed the campus “safe and secure,” university Provost David Madigan and Chancellor Kenneth Henderson wrote in a joint statement.

Who was injured?

An unidentified staff member who handled the package was injured, according to authorities. 

The university provided no update Wednesday on the condition of the staff member, identified by Boston police as a 45-year-old man. His hand injuries were reportedly minor. He was taken to a hospital for treatment, authorities said. 

What was in the package?

The hard, plastic case ⁠that exploded contained a rambling note that railed against virtual reality and referenced Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg, a law enforcement official told The Associated Press. The official spoke to the AP on the condition of anonymity and could not discuss the investigation’s details publicly.