While most of the Bay State was sleeping last night, the Massachusetts State Police had to call for a bomb squad to handle a suspicious package found in the Boston Common and thought to be connected with vandalism near the State House very early this morning.

State Troopers were called to Beacon Street sometime around 3:30 a.m. after someone reported vandalism “immediately in front of the State House,” MSP spokesperson Tim McGuirk said in a statement.

“Preliminary information indicates that a suspect poured white paint on the gate and spray painted before fleeing into the Boston Common,” McGuirk said.

Shortly thereafter, the state police received a second call — that a suspicious package was sitting in the middle of the Common.

Suspecting the package might have been abandoned by the alleged graffitist and therefore potentially dangerous, the state police bomb squad was sent to investigate “out of an abundance of caution,” McGuirk said.

The MSP has processed the crime scene, but have not yet identified a suspect. Detectives from Troop H will be investigating, according to McGuirk.

“Investigators will continue their work to identify the person(s) responsible,” he said.

Anyone who might be able to assist in identifying the alleged vandal is asked to call the State Police Boston Barracks at (617) 727-6780.