During the preliminary investigation at the site, police found that the device shared "some characteristics with improvised explosive devices". These characteristics include an identifiable power source, circuit board with exposed wiring, and electrical tape. After the initial assessment, Boston police shut down the northbound side of I-93 and parts of the public transportation system. Just after 10 a.m., the bomb squad used a small explosive filled with water to destroy the device as a precaution. MBTA Transit police Lieutenant Salvatore Venturelli told the media at the scene, "This is a perfect example of our passengers taking part in homeland security." He refused to describe the object in detail because of the ongoing investigation, responding only that "It's not consistent with equipment that would be there normally." Investigators were trying to determine "if it was a hoax or something else entirely", according to Venturelli. Northbound I-93 reopened to traffic at about 10:05 a.m. By 10:21 a.m. the police timeline reported it as "some sort of hoax device".