Late Monday night, 2150 Commonwealth Ave. was evacuated following a bomb threat that prompted a response from the Boston Police Bomb Squad. The Boston Police Department (BPD) later cleared the building and confirmed that no explosive devices were present.
“At 10:57 p.m. on Monday night, the Boston Police Department responded to a radio call of a bomb threat at 2150 [Commonwealth Ave.],” a BPD spokesperson told The Heights.
Upon arrival, the bomb squad located a suspicious backpack and inspected its contents, ultimately determining it posed no danger. Officers also swept surrounding areas and found no additional threats.
“In accordance with bomb squad protocols, the bomb squad examined the item and determined it presented no threat,” the spokesperson said.
University Spokesman Jack Dunn confirmed to The Heights that the building was evacuated out of an abundance of caution, calling the threat a hoax.
“Unfortunately, colleges and universities across the country have been dealing with hoax threats,” Dunn wrote in a statement to The Heights. “We appreciate the work of BC and Boston Police in resolving the matter as soon as possible.”
As of Tuesday night, the University had issued no communication to the public or to students about the incident or whether an investigation is ongoing.
Emergency services were also spotted on Linden Lane, in front of Gasson Hall and St. Mary’s Hall on Main Campus, according to photographs shared on social media. To what extent the Linden Lane and 2150 presences were connected remains unclear.
The Newton Police Department did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
A fire alarm triggered shortly before 11 p.m. prompted residents to evacuate 2150. Believing it to be a routine drill, many students left without proper clothing for the cold weather.
“I was about to go to bed, and then the fire alarm started going off,” said Morgan Bleakley, MCAS ’26 and 2150 resident. “I assumed it was going to be like a normal routine—five, 10 minutes—I didn’t even grab a jacket. I was wearing slippers, and my roommates and I walked outside.”
Another resident described a similar experience.
“I left pretty fast—I didn’t even get my coat on,” said Madeline King, MCAS ’26.
Shortly after the evacuation, as many became aware of the unusually large police presence, rumors began circulating about a possible threat to the building.
“It clearly wasn’t a fire, but it also clearly wasn’t a drill—like something was happening,” said Annabelle Langford, MCAS ’26. “There began to be rumors of a gas leak. And then I think that’s when people began talking about it being some kind of threat, and that became the leading theory for the rest of the night.”
Students turned to BPD and the Boston College Police Department for answers, but according to Bleakley, communication was sparse.
“People started wondering what was going on,” said Bleakley. “And then, generally, people started asking questions about what was happening, but no one was really giving any answers.”
Bleakley said that throughout the evacuation, no official information was communicated to residents, even as the bomb squad swept the building.
“I still have not seen any statement about what happened,” she said. “I still don’t know. I heard it was a threat, but I was going to bed, and I wanted some closure on what that was. But they gave zero communication to the people that lived in 2150, besides when the alarm stopped going off.”
About an hour and a half after the initial evacuation, at 12:20 a.m., on-call resident assistants emailed residents that the alarm had been deactivated and they could return inside.
Some parents of BC students expressed concern about the incident and noted the absence of any communication from the administration.
“Terrifying,” Gretchen Fedeli wrote on a Facebook BC parents page. “Hopefully the school will be sending out an update soon.”
King said that the lack of information allowed speculation to swirl among students.
“The administration had to know the rumor mill was spinning,” King said. “If they can’t give full context, fine—but at least confirm the basics. Silence only fuels speculation.”
