Two Massachusetts men, 18-year-old Joshua Patterson from Plymouth and 20-year-old Anthony Cardoza from Bourne, were arrested on Tuesday morning following an explosion at Harvard Medical School’s Goldenson Building. The fire started around 3 a.m. Saturday and was sparked by illegal fireworks, officials said. This put the safety of students and faculty at the world-renowned university in jeopardy.
According to authorities, Patterson and Cardoza set off a Roman candle firework outside the building. They proceeded to cram a cherry bomb into a said locker. The blast left the building heavily damaged. It severely damaged the fourth floor, which houses research labs and faculty offices for the school’s neurobiology department. Unsurprisingly, the Boston Fire Department has since ruled the explosion to be an act of arson.
Security video identified Patterson and Cardoza walking away from the KSU campus towards the medical school the day of the explosion. One of the first officers to make it to a fire alarm call located two of the suspects running from the scene within minutes of the explosion.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office reported that in each of the cases, the defendants will be arraigned in federal court later Tuesday. They are all charged with felony conspiracy to damage property by means of fire or an explosive.
“Anxiety levels naturally rise when the public learns that an explosion was intentionally caused,” – Leah B Foley
Foley stressed how damaging these kinds of incidents are in terms of community safety and public trust. The investigation continues, but she said there is no longer an immediate danger to the university.
Ted Docks, the FBI’s special agent in charge, condemned the actions of Patterson and Cardoza, stating, “Let me be clear: setting off an explosive device inside a locker at an institution geared toward higher education is not some harmless college prank. It’s selfish, it’s shortsighted, and it’s a federal crime.”