The staff member’s condition was not known Tuesday night. No students were injured in the incident, which led to the evacuation of several university buildings on Leon Street, including dormitories. The campus was secure, even as investigators, including representatives of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, remained on the scene late into the night. Police Commissioner Michael Cox said the department is working with “all of our law enforcement partners,” including the FBI and ATF. “We will continue to work with all of our campus security partners to make sure that all of the students here are safe, as well as the residents of the city,” Cox said in a news update. She advised residents who see anything untoward around campus or in their neighborhood to “say something” by contacting the police or calling 911. Cox thanked multiple agencies for their quick response to the scene, including Boston Fire and EMS, which helped evacuate buildings, he said. The investigation is ongoing, Cox said. Northeastern University Police Chief Michael Davis said his department “responded within a minute.” “It is very important to note that our campus is safe,” he said at the press conference. “We will work with ours [law enforcement] partners to resolve this.” Mayor Michelle Wu, speaking at the briefing, praised the “incredible effort” of first responders to make sure “everyone throughout this school community was safe.” In a statement, Suffolk District Attorney Kevin Hayden said his office is “We stand ready to work with the university and our law enforcement partners on any prosecutions that may develop.” Emergency vehicles flooded the area and a section of the private university’s West Campus was cordoned off by police. Alarms sounded from several buildings as students gathered to watch the scene behind the yellow caution tape. Holmes Hall is located between Lake and Meserve Halls. All three buildings house various academic areas and departments, including the journalistic program. At 7:56 p.m., Boston EMS tweeted that a patient had been transported by ambulance to a local hospital. Police and fire officials remained at the scene for most of Tuesday afternoon. An alert sent to Northeastern students urged them to avoid the area during the investigation. University officials later announced that evening classes in several surrounding buildings would be canceled, citing the ongoing investigation. The large emergency response at Northeastern prompted other Boston-area colleges to issue safety advisories to their students. No other explosions were reported on other campuses, officials said. Several local colleges and universities, including Harvard and MIT, issued alerts Tuesday night urging students to report any suspicious packages. Separately, around 8:30 p.m., Boston police responded to a report of a suspicious bag at the nearby Museum of Fine Arts, according to Officer Andre Watson, a department spokesman. The bag was deemed “non-explosive” in nature and police had cleared the scene by 9:45 p.m., Watson said. This breaking news story will be updated as more information becomes available.
