Hanover man charged with making bomb threat at Tufts Medical Center
BOSTON, April 2, 2024 – A Hanover man was arraigned Friday after he threatened to blow up Tufts Medical Center and made numerous ongoing racial remarks toward hospital staff after he was discharged, District Attorney Kevin Hayden announced.
GRAHAM ABRAHAM, 34, was charged with bomb/hijack threat with serious public alarm. Judge Mark Summerville ordered Abraham held on $5,000 bail and to stay away from Tuft’s Medical Center. Mental health services for Abraham were recommended after an evaluation by a court clinician.
Abraham is also facing charges of threat to commit a crime and assault and disorderly conduct in BMC Central in relation to two separate incidents. He is due back in court for all three cases on April 3.
At about 1:30 p.m. on February 2, a Tufts Medical staff member reported to Tufts public safety officers that a former patient, later identified as Abraham, called the hospital and made racist remarks along with complaints regarding his experience. At about 2 p.m., another staff member took a call from Abraham and reported that Abraham said “everybody is going to die.”
Officers reviewed audio from the recorded phone line and heard Abraham make threats and racial slurs such as “All (expletive) in your shit vomit hospital must die. (Inaudible) ready to bomb and blow up your hospital. Got guns and knives kill all (expletive). All (expletive) must die. (Expletive) roaches and scum of the earth. All (expletive) must be slaughtered and killed.”
Abraham has made numerous calls to Tufts between January 15 to February 2, all with similar threats.
Surrounding police departments including Transit and Amtrak police are familiar with Abraham and his frequent calls. Amtrak received 78 calls from Abraham in January including disturbing statements and bomb threats. Amtrak police has issued a trespass order and banned Abraham from all Amtrak facilities.
Abraham has also been flagged by the ATF and cannot legally purchase a firearm.
“We must take all forms of threats seriously. The challenge to law enforcement is finding a balance between a person’s mental health needs and the public’s right to be safe and secure in all settings. This defendant has made numerous threats and disturbing statements to individuals and institutions that have helped or tried to help him in some way. We’re moving forward with criminal action here because it is clearly necessary to prevent potential public harm,” Hayden said.
All charged individuals are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
Suffolk County District Attorney Kevin Hayden’s office serves the communities of Boston, Chelsea, Revere, and Winthrop, Mass. The office handles over 20,000 cases a year. More than 160 attorneys in the office practice in nine district and municipal courts, Suffolk Superior Court, the Massachusetts Appeals Court, the Supreme Judicial Court, and the Boston Juvenile Courts. The office employs some 300 people and offers a wide range of services and programs to serve anyone who comes in contact with the criminal justice system. This office is committed to educating the public about the services we provide, our commitment to crime prevention, and our dedication to keeping the residents of Suffolk County safe.
James Borghesani, Chief of Communications