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Northeastern University students returned to classes Wednesday after a package reportedly exploded at the university’s Holmes Hall Tuesday night, injuring one staff member.
The university announced Wednesday morning that its campus was “secure and open” following the incident, and that an investigation by local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies is currently underway.
“I didn’t sleep well,” admitted Jasmine Velazco, a fourth-year at Northeastern who returned to class that morning. “I think a lot of people were really tired and on edge — many people don’t fathom that this could happen, and that it could be happening on your campus.”
In a turn of events, The Associated Press reported Wednesday that the injured staff member is under investigation for potentially staging the incident. The notion is another hurdle for students still recovering from the initial event, said Kate Bloom, a Northeastern second-year.
“[The report] honestly seems like a realistic answer,” she said. “But I think a lot of students are really shocked and confused. We still don’t really know what actually happened.”
Authorities responded to Holmes Hall at 7:16 p.m. Tuesday for a report of a detonated package, evacuating the Leon Street building as a precaution. Northeastern sent out an alert reporting “Emergency Services Responding to Holmes Hall” 40 minutes later, leading many students to question why they weren’t informed sooner.
“I wish that when [the administration] first heard about it, they would have sent an alert, even if it was vague at first,” Velazco said.
