Authorities in Watertown, Mass. are engaged in a citywide manhunt for one suspect of the Boston Marathon bombing after the other was killed in a shootout early Friday morning. Details are still sketchy, but most outlets are reporting that the suspect still on the loose (the one in the white hat in these photos) is Dzhokar A. Tsarnaev, 19, of Cambridge, a Chechen who has been living in the U.S. as a legal permanent resident for at least a year. The deceased suspect, killed in a gun battle with police around 2 a.m., is apparently his 26-year-old brother, Tamerlan.
The long night began at 10:48 Thursday evening, when gunshots were heard outside of MIT's Stata building. The two suspects, after robbing a 7-11, shot and killed an MIT police officer. They then hijacked a car and engaged police in a confrontation involving guns and explosives in the Watertown area.
Authorities have confirmed that these are their Boston Marathon bombing suspects. Watertown remains locked down, with more than 300,000 people instructed to stay in place. [top image via Shawna England]
Updates:
11:27 AM: This is likely Dzhokar's Twitter account.
11:09 AM: Ramzan Karimov, the Head of the Chechen Republic, released a statement on, uh, Instagram. Very rough, abridged, Google-assisted translation follows:
Tragic events took place in Boston. The blast killed people. We have previously expressed condolences to the people of the city and the people of America. [...] Any attempt to make the connection between Chechnya and Tsarnaevymi, if they are guilty, will be made in vain. They grew up in the United States, their attitudes and beliefs were formed there. It is necessary to seek the roots of evil in America. From terrorism to fight the whole world. We know better than anyone else. We wish recovery to all the victims and share the feelings of sorrow of Americans. # # Boston # bombing investigation
10:26 AM: Connecticut says it's found the CRV and is directing questions to Boston.
10:08 AM: Police have put out an alert for a grey Honda CRV that they believe may be heading south through Connecticut:
According to NBC News, police are now looking for two suspects in Boston:
MSNBC is apparently reporting that authorities have surrounded a train in Connecticut that may contain a third suspect.
10:05 AM: We're updating information about the suspects here as it comes out.
10:04 AM: NBC tweets a photo of an empty boston:
9:38 AM: The MIT police officer killed last night has been identified as Sean Collier, 26, of Somerville.
9:00 AM: According to several outlets, police believe that Tamerlan Tsarnaev was wearing explosives when he was killed, and are worried that Dzhokar could be, too.
8:38 AM: Police officers and a SWAT team have surrounded a house in Watertown.
8:25 AM: The officer shot and wounded in Watertown is Richard Donohue, a 33-year-old transit officer.
8:17 AM: The entire city of Boston is being asked to shelter in place as the manhunt continues. Taxi service has been suspended pending further notice.
7:43 AM: NBC and the Times are both reporting that the dead suspect is Tamerlan Tsarnaev, 26.
7:15 AM: NPR's Dina Temple-Raston reports that third person (described as an "accomplice") has been arrested.
6:47 AM: AP is reporting that both bombers are from "Russia region near Chechnya" and have lived in the U.S. for at least one year; the surviving suspect, according to AP and NBC, is 19-year-old Dzhokhar A. Tsarnaev of Cambridge, Mass., possibly this former scholarship winner.
6:32 AM: Big concern is not only the bomber himself, but the possible explosives he has left around the neighborhood. A long night looks like it might turn into an even longer day for Boston residents.
6:20 AM: The suspects apparently told the man they carjacked late last night that they were the marathon bombers.
6:15 AM: If you're a resident of Watertown, Brookline, Newton, Belmont, Waltham, Cambridge, or Allston-Brighton, authorities are telling you to stay indoors while they search for the remaining bombing suspect.
6:10 AM: Residents are now leaving their homes one by one in Watertown as SWAT teams enter their homes as they exit, checking them for explosives, seeing if their house has been rigged by the suspect.
6:00 AM: Boston public transit, the MBTA, will remain shut down this morning. Harvard, MIT, Boston University, and Emerson have canceled classes, amid public safety concerns. All Boston public and private schools have now been canceled.
All MBTA service has been suspended until further notice
— Boston Police Dept. (@Boston_Police) April 19, 2013
5:30 AM: At a press conference at Beth Israel Hospital, doctors explained that the first suspect arrived at the hospital with severe injuries that included innumerable gun shot wounds, and burns from a blast. He had traumatic injuries to his torso, possibly from a bomb. He was pronounced dead around 1:30 AM.
5:20 AM: Here's a Google Map of tonight's events:
View Shootings 4/19 MIT && Carjacking related to boston bombers in a larger map
5:00 AM: Not confirmed, but a BPD scanner apparently identified the two bombers as Mike Mulugeta (now deceased) and Sanil Tarpathi, who is currently hiding from authorities somewhere in Watertown.
Here is some new video of the shootout between the two suspects and police officers:
4:55 AM: The package at MIT is harmless, say officials. So how about that? Some good news!
4:46 AM: A suspicious package has been found at MIT, where the bombers killed an officer late last night.
A suspicious package has been reported in the area of 500 Memorial Drive. Please stay away from this area until further notice.
— MIT (@MITnews) April 19, 2013
4:33 AM: Sources tell WHDH Boston that there are explosive devices scattered throughout the residential neighborhoods around Watertown.
Source: Possibly several undetonated explosive devices in residential areas in Watertown. #7News
— 7News (@7News) April 19, 2013
4:20 AM: Col. Timothy Alban of the Boston State Police just held a press conference outlining the events of last evening and this morning. Here goes:
After robbing a 7-11 in Cambridge at around 10:30 PM Thursday, the two suspects shot an MIT police officer in his car, and then carjacked a Mercedes SUV. They held the driver hostage, then released them at a gas station a half-hour later.
They were discovered in Watertown driving the SUV, and were pursued by the Watertown Police Department and Transit Police. They exchanged gunfire with the police departments, discharging several explosives from their the car. One transit officer was shot and is in serious condition, and one suspect was shot and killed, while the other escaped.
Col. Alban stressed that the most important message for public safety was that everyone in Watertown should shelter in place, and call 911 if they see anyone suspicious. Motorists should not stop for anyone. According to the video from 7-11, the suspect is dressed in a grey hoodie, is Caucasian, has brown curly hair, and is "armed and dangerous."
4:15 AM: The Mass State Police have released this picture of suspect #2, taken from surveillance footage of the earlier robbery.
WANTED: Police Searching for Suspect (Picture Provided) twitter.com/Boston_Police/…
— Boston Police Dept. (@Boston_Police) April 19, 2013
4:11 AM: The driver the marathon bombers hijacked was held by them for a half hour at gun point, before they were released safely.
4:05 AM: 2 SWAT teams have descended on a commercial building in Watertown, where they believe the remaining suspect is.
4:01 AM: Police are now staging in Arsenal Mall, and State Police are asking media to clear out of the area. Officers might be waiting for sunrise to storm whatever home they believe the remaining Marathon bomber is hiding in.
3:51 AM: State Police are going door-to-door in Watertown, searching for suspect #2, who it increasingly looks like is Sunil Tripathi. Update: As has become clear, missing Brown student Sunil Tripathi was not the bomber, despite his name being used by Boston P.D. on the police scanner.
3:41 AM: These two updates from the Mass State Police tell Watertown residents to watch out for the remaining suspect —
Residents in and around Watertown should stay in their residences. Do NOT answer door unless it is an identified police officer.
— MASS STATE POLICE (@MassStatePolice) April 19, 2013
If any concerns about someone at door, call 911 immediately. Repeat—Do not answer door, stay away from windows, keep doors locked.
— MASS STATE POLICE (@MassStatePolice) April 19, 2013
3:14 AM: According to Pete Williams at NBC News, a pressure cooker was found at the scene in Watertown.
Explosives, pressure cooker found at crime scene in Watertown, sources tell @petewilliamsnbc
— NBC News (@NBCNews) April 19, 2013
3:08 AM: The crime scene continues to move through Watertown and officials are asking residents to stay indoors and not let anyone into their home.
3:06 AM: The family of Sunil Tripathi, the missing Brown student who Reddit believed was one of the suspects, has taken down the Facebook page dedicated to find him. Here is a cached version of it. He could be holed up in a Watertown home right now, in custody, or dead. Update: As has become clear, missing Brown student Sunil Tripathi was not the bomber, despite his name being used by Boston P.D. on the police scanner.
3:05 AM: It has come out that a transit officer was shot earlier in the evening and is in serious condition.
3:01 AM: WHDH confirms that these are the Boston Marathon bombing suspects and that one is dead.
3:00 AM: The State Police have confirmed that one suspect is accounted for, while one remains at large.
2:46 AM: Police have surrounded a Watertown house on Quimby Street, where they believe the remaining suspect is hiding. Federal and local authorities have poured into the residential neighborhood.
2:34 AM: The Boston Globe is reporting that these are the marathon bombers. WHDH says one is dead and the other is still on the loose, but the Globe says the captured suspect is still alive.
Official: Marathon bombing suspect in custody, another remains on the loose b.globe.com/17K9a7D
— The Boston Globe (@BostonGlobe) April 19, 2013
2:25 AM: Andrew Kitzenberg posts a picture of a bullet that went through his Watertown home during a shootout.
Bullet hole through our wall and the chair #mitshooting #mit #boston twitter.com/AKitz/status/3…
— Andrew Kitzenberg (@AKitz) April 19, 2013
2:20 AM: Photo of the FBI on the scene in Watertown by @christinawilkie
2:14 AM: A second suspect remains at large, reports Boston's WHDH. The FBI is now involved in the investigation, lending Federal involvement to what would normally be a crime dealt with solely by local authorities.
2:09 AM: ABC's Joshua Hoyos is reporting that there is no connection to the Marathon Bombings.
1:49 AM: Seth Mnookin has posted a photo of the arrest of one of the suspects:
1:25 AM: It appears a suspect is in custody:
"Get out of car. Lift up your shirt with left hand. Keep hands above your hand."
— Seth Mnookin (@sethmnookin) April 19, 2013
"We have a second suspect in custody, we need an ID that it's him, we're not sure that it's him."
— Seth Mnookin (@sethmnookin) April 19, 2013
1:18 AM EST: Police officers are approaching a suspect in heavy armor.
1:15 AM EST: Science Writer Seth Mnookin is on scene:
Lots of shouting. Police are trying to remove suspect from car.
— Seth Mnookin (@sethmnookin) April 19, 2013
1:01 AM EST: Police are taking cover and backing away from a suspect, says WHDH reporter Adam Williams, now at the scene of the confrontation. He has heard that the suspect has a hand grenade.
12:58 AM EST: Police feed reports that explosives have been detonated in Watertown. At least two officers have been hurt.
12:51 AM EST: Police have cornered the suspects at Adams St in Watertown after they hijacked a car. There are reports of gunshots, and an intense confrontation between police officers and the suspects. WHDH-Boston reports that "there is a strong smell of gun powder in the air." Authorities still unsure if the suspects are related to the marathon bombing.
12:14 AM EST: A statement from the Cambridge District Attorney says that the fatal shooting occurred when the MIT campus police officer was reporting to "a disturbance in the area." He was found by other officers evidencing multiple gunshot wounds. There have been no arrests yet, as officers continue to search the area.
12:01 AM EST: NBC Connecticut is reporting that the MIT police officer has died.
11:49 PM EST: Police are actively trying to corner the suspect. The MIT police officer has been confirmed to have sustained "life-threatening injuries" according to WHDH-Boston. MIT just released this update: "Responding agencies continue to investigate the situation. The scene is outside of Building 32 (Stata) and 76 (Koch) near Vassar and Main Streets. Injuries have been reported. The situation is still very active and we ask everyone to stay inside."