Harvard University Building Rocked By Explosion, Officials Say “Intentional”

Authorities are investigating after an “intentional” explosion rocked the Harvard University’s Longwood Medical School campus on Saturday.

According to the New York Post, Boston police released surveillance footage of two suspects.

The explosion occurred around 2:45 a.m., which prompted a fire alarm activation and response from a Harvard University Police Department (HUPD) officer.

Harvard officials said two people fled the building when the officer arrived, Fox News noted.

Police release photos of two individuals they are looking for in connection with intentional explosion overnight in a building at Harvard Medical School
(Photos from police press release)
More details on the incident here: https://t.co/hPwl6syUJv pic.twitter.com/JDBPQvF1W2

— Steve Lookner (@lookner) November 1, 2025

More from the New York Post:

An officer with the university failed in an attempt to stop them, before entering the building to check on the alarm, The Boston Globe reported.

The Boston Police Department released surveillance images of the suspects on Saturday, NBC Boston reported.

Images showed two individuals wearing masks over their faces and hooded sweatshirts.

The Boston Fire Department determined the explosion was intentional and conducted a sweep of the building which found no additional devices, according to the Crimson.

No injuries were reported.

Sources familiar with the investigation told The Post the explosive device was not a bomb but declined to further detail the incident.

“The Harvard University Police Department is actively investigating this incident in coordination with local, state and federal law enforcement partners,” a university spokesperson told Fox News Digital.

Harvard Medical School rocked by intentional explosion, two spotted fleeing detonation https://t.co/SVLLHWOB5L pic.twitter.com/7TlpcsebHP

— New York Post (@nypost) November 1, 2025

CNN shared:

The unsettling incident comes after a tense year for Harvard students, teachers and staff who were thrust into a national spotlight amid the White House’s push to reshape higher education. Officials from Harvard and the White House have been in discussions for months about a high-dollar deal to restore all federal funding to the university and end its ongoing lawsuits against the administration.

The FBI is on scene investigating Saturday’s explosion and assisting university police, FBI Boston Division spokesperson Kristen Setera told CNN.