Police say an explosion inside a building on the Harvard Medical School campus in Boston early Saturday morning appears to have been an intentional act. No injuries have been reported from the explosion.
Investigators have released photos of two suspects they say were involved in the incident.
The Harvard University Police Department said that just before 3 a.m., an officer was dispatched to the Goldenson Building on Longwood Avenue in Boston for a fire alarm activation.
When the officer arrived to investigate, they saw two people running from the building. The officer tried to stop the two people, but was unable to identify them or prevent them from leaving. Police have since released surveillance photos that show two suspects with their faces covered inside the building. The public is being asked to help identify them.
The officer later went to the floor where the alarm had been triggered and found that an explosion had happened on the fourth floor.
The Boston Fire Department Arson Unit was also called to the scene. An initial assessment found that the explosion appears to have been intentional.
Officers from the Boston Police Department then swept the building to search for any additional devices. No other devices were discovered, police said.
A spokesperson for the FBI said they are on scene following the explosion.
“We’re assisting our partners at the Harvard University Police Department and we’re going to decline further comment at this time. We’ll refer to the Harvard University Police Department,” the FBI spokesperson said.
The Harvard University Police Department is investigating the blast along with local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies.
Anyone with information about the explosion is asked to call the Harvard University Police Department’s detective bureau at (617) 495-1796.
Joey Awad was asleep when he said he heard a bang.
“Like I felt it in my body,” Awad said. “Was really scared, my heart was racing and then I tried to fall asleep and then like five minutes later, I heard another bang.”
According to Harvard University Planning and Design, the Goldenson Building was constructed in 1906. It is one of several Harvard buildings on the Boston campus surrounding the HMS Quad Lawn.
