Explosion inside Harvard Medical School building was likely intentional, police say

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.

The Harvard University Police Department said that just before 3 a.m., an officer was dispatched to the Goldenson Building on Longwood Ave. 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.

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. 

No injuries have been reported from the explosion.

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.

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.