Order restored
No explosives or suspicious devices were found following the evacuation and sweep of four Harvard University buildings Monday by federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies. In a statement Monday afternoon, Executive Vice President Katie Lapp said the search was prompted by an email sent to the Harvard University Police Department at about 8:40 a.m. indicating that explosive devices had been hidden inside Emerson Hall, Sever Hall, Thayer Hall, and the Science Center. All four buildings were cleared and reopened by shortly before 3 p.m., as campus life returned to normal on the first day of final exams. Out of what Lapp called “an abundance of caution,” Harvard police issued a campuswide alert at 9:02 a.m. notifying recipients of “unconfirmed reports” that explosives were in the four buildings and ordering everyone to evacuate while police conducted a thorough investigation. The Yard was restricted to Harvard ID holders for several hours. Final exams that had...