Two Men Stabbed At Tufts Fraternity

Two young Boston men were stabbed, one seriously, at a fraternity house at Tufts University early Sunday, leading the school to briefly issue a shelter-in-place order as police searched the campus.

Somerville Deputy Chief Paul Trant said in a news release that police "have a person of interest identified" and there is no threat to the surrounding community.

"It does not appear to be a random act, and parties involved are believed to be known to each other," Trant said.

He did not say if the person was affiliated with Tufts. Tufts spokeswoman Kim Thurler said the victims weren't affiliated with the university. She referred other questions about the investigation to Somerville police. Police did not immediately return a message seeking further detail.

Trant said police responding to the Delta Tau Delta house just before 4 a.m. found the men outside. He said the stabbings appear to have happened inside. The house is on Professors Row, a street that runs through Somerville and Medford on the campus just north of Boston.

Both victims were taken to Massachusetts General Hospital. A 20-year-old has a serious injury, and a 19-year-old's injury is non-life-threatening, Trant said.

At about 5 a.m., school officials asked students through social media and email alerts to seek shelter and to lock their doors while police responded to reports of a "serious crime." The shelter-in-place advisory was lifted at about 8 a.m.

Tufts' commencement was held on May 17 and summer sessions are underway.

Jim Russell, national executive vice president of Delta Tau Delta, said the fraternity is working with the local chapter and its alumni advisers to determine the circumstances and is cooperating with police. He said only a small number of men are living at the house for the Tufts summer term.

"At this time our thoughts are focused on the speedy recovery of the injured parties," Russell said in an email.

The fraternity's local chapter adviser, Nick deKanter, declined in an email to immediately comment because of the ongoing investigation.