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Two Massachusetts college students allegedly plotted and carried out an explosion using a “large commercial firework” inside a Harvard Medical School laboratory, federal authorities said.
Logan David Patterson, 18, of Plymouth, and Dominick Frank Cardoza, 20, of Bourne, have been arrested and federally charged in connection with an alleged conspiracy to damage a building on Harvard Medical School’s (HMS) campus using a large commercial firework.
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts, both men face one count of conspiracy to damage, by means of an explosive, the Goldenson Building at the Ivy League university, a facility that houses neuroscience research labs.
The two were arrested Tuesday morning and appeared in federal court in Boston on Tuesday afternoon. They have a preliminary hearing scheduled for Nov. 24.
Harvard University Police Department released surveillance photos of the two masked suspects fleeing the building at the time of the explosion on Saturday, Nov. 1, 2025. (Harvard University Police Department )
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According to the federal complaint, Patterson and Cardoza were allegedly visiting the Wentworth Institute of Technology campus for Halloween activities and were seen together on Oct. 31 and into the early hours of Nov. 1.
According to the FBI affidavit, surveillance cameras captured the pair walking toward the HMS campus at approximately 2:33 a.m. wearing face coverings and dark clothing. Moments later, video allegedly shows them igniting what appeared to be “roman candle-style fireworks,” before continuing toward campus.
About 10 minutes later, they were allegedly seen climbing over a chain-link fence into a construction area surrounding the Goldenson Building, and minutes later, scaling scaffolding beside the structure to access the roof.
At 2:45 a.m., a fire alarm sounded after an explosion inside a fourth-floor research lab in HMS’s Department of Neurobiology. Investigators later determined a “large commercial firework” detonated inside a wooden locker.
Ted Docks, special agent in charge of the FBI, speaks at a news conference announcing the arrests of two men in connection with a weekend explosion at Harvard Medical School, as U.S. Attorney Leah Foley looks on, Tuesday, Nov. 4, 2025, in Boston. (AP Photo/Michael Casey)
Ted Docks, the special agent in charge of the FBI in Boston, said that the suspects’ actions could have led to serious injuries.
“This explosive device had the potential to cause significant injury to anyone nearby — but only by sheer luck, and because of a rapid response by first responders, no lives were lost, no one was injured, and property damage was limited,” he said.
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Between 2:45 and 2:50 a.m., Patterson and Cardoza were allegedly seen visiting the fifth floor before exiting the building and fleeing in opposite directions.
According to prosecutors, surveillance video captured Cardoza minutes later sitting on a bench, removing his pants and throwing them in a garbage bin.
Patterson was seen back on the nearby Wentworth campus around 3:09 a.m., running between buildings and charging his phone, authorities said.
At approximately 3:40 a.m., Patterson reportedly met up with Cardoza and a third individual, and the trio were seen walking toward the Massachusetts College of Art and Design campus. In the video, Patterson had removed his sweatshirt and sweatpants, while Cardoza was still wearing a dark hooded jacket and black sneakers.
Witnesses later identified the two men as Patterson and Cardoza, saying that they had been visiting Wentworth for Halloween events.
Officials said a “large commercial firework” detonated inside a wooden locker at Harvard Medical School. (Spencer Jones/GHI/UCG/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)
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The FBI affidavit also cites the suspects’ public Instagram accounts, linking the pair together prior to the incident.
“Open-source research indicates that Patterson and Cardoza each maintain an Instagram account. The profile photograph currently used for both of these accounts is the same photograph of Patterson and Cardoza with three other young males,” the filing states.
The accounts, reviewed by Fox News Digital, display an identical profile picture, consistent with the image cited in the affidavit.
Both social media accounts include a small number of public posts showing high-school graduation scenes, sports and spending time with friends.
Special agents and officers with FBI Boston’s Joint Terrorism Task Force and Harvard University Police Department announced the arrests on Tuesday in connection with an explosion at Harvard Medical School. (FBI Boston/X)
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Both men are charged with conspiracy to damage, by means of an explosive, property owned or used by an institution receiving federal funding.
Fox News’ Molly Line contributed to this report.