Crime & Safety

[Updated] He Is In Custody!

The "second suspect" in the Boston Marathon bombing is in police custody. He had been surrounded in a boat sitting in a Watertown backyard.

Reporting from Patch Boston area staff provided by Chris CaesarJohn WallerDaniel DeMainaFranklin TuckerRyan Grannan-Doll, Liz TaurasiSusan Manning, and Marc Fortier.

Police have the second suspect in the Boston Marathon bombing in custody after a stand-off in a Watertown backyard.

Elsewhere tonight, three people have been taken into custody in New Bedford as part of the terror investigation.

Watertown residents, just after the day-long "shelter in place" order had been lifted, were again asked to stay indoors as shots were fired in the area. A resident reported a guy had crawled under a boat and police and SWAT officers moved in on the location. About a dozen shots were fired in the vicinity.

Investigators spent much of Friday searching for the second suspect in Watertown following a chaotic night that left the first suspect dead.

The Associated Press is reporting the surviving Boston bomb suspect is identified as Dzhokhar A. Tsarnaev, 19, of Cambridge.

"We believe this man to be a terrorist," Boston Police Commissioner Ed Davis said at a post-4 a.m. press conference about the at large suspect. "We believe this to be a man who's come here to kill people. We need to get him in custody."

An MBTA Transit Police Officer was shot during the overnight manhunt through Cambridge and Watertown.

Richard (Dic) H. Donohue Jr., 33, is in surgery now at Mt. Auburn Hospital, according to a police spokesman just after 8 a.m.

Related Stories


Updates

8:45 p.m. He is in custody!
****

8:38 p.m. BREAKING NEWS: Three people have been taken into custody in New Bedford as part of the Boston Marathon terror bombing investigation.

****

8:25 p.m. The Patch editor in Watertown reports the bomb squad is moving in.

****

7:54 p.m. Channel 7 reports a "boom" and fresh gunshots.

****

7:39 p.m. CBS reports that the person in the boat is alive and pinned down. Boston Mayor Thomas Menino told CBS that the person in the boat is the second suspect in the Marathon bombings. WBZ News Radio 1030 confirms thermal imaging from a helicopter helped locate the person.

****

7:25 p.m. Three SWAT trucks rolled into the area. They appear to be from the Boston Police Department.

****

7:27 p.m. The scene in question is about a half mile from the other shooting area. It's near Mount Auburn and Franklin. Channel 5 reports there is a very bloody person pinned down in a boat in the backyard of that home.

****

7:21 p.m. Police say stay away from windows, get as far away from where gunfire is taking place and put as many things between you and gunfire as possible.
****

7:13 p.m. Fox 25 News reporting Watertown neighborhood can be seen leaving their homes in a hurried, but controlled pace.

****

7:10 p.m. Boston Police are telling all Watertown residents to stay in their homes. This is a live manhunt and shots have been fired. 

****

7:02 p.m. Widespread reports of shots fired in Watertown.

****

6:20 p.m. Boston Marathon bombing suspect Dzhokhar Tsarnaev remains on the loose, but Gov. Deval Patrick has lifted the stay indoors order for all Boston area residents.

"The stay indoors request is lifted," Patrick said. "The T is open effective immediately. We are asking the public to remain vigilant if you are out. To that extent we can return to living our lives, that request is lifted, but remain vigilant."We are where we were effectively as of Monday night or Tuesday morning, with a couple exceptions," he added. "One of the suspects is dead. There was a firefight out here last night, with some 200 rounds and explosives, so we were very justified, I believe, based on what we understood about the investigation, in taking what we knew was a big step in asking people to stay indoors."

State Police Col. Timothy Alben said he believes Dzhokhar Tsarnaev is still in Massachusetts, and that he is the only person police are looking for at this time.

"We do not have an apprehension of our suspect this afternoon, but we will have one," he said. "We're committed to that."

Alben said police went through 20 streets in Watertown on Friday, door-to-door, doing limited searches to make sure everyone was safe. Police also followed a number of leads to "various places in Eastern Massachusetts," none of which have been fruitful to this point.

He said there is much left to be done, including ballistics and forensic work. He said exploded and unexploded ordinances were found at the scene.

"We are going to draw back our tactical teams, but state police will be providing additional patrols to Watertown for the next two to three days," Alben said. "Unfortunately, we don't have a positive result at this point, but for the sake of everyone that was hurt or killed during the marathon or those police officers that lost their life or were seriously injured, we are committed to seeing a conclusion to this case."

Alben said the suspect is "a very violent and dangerous person," and said anyone who sees him or has further information about the case should call 911 or report any tips to the FBI's tip department.

****

5:56 p.m.: The North Kingstown, Rhode Island Police Department has confirmed that the Rhode Island State Police visited a home in North Kingstown in connection with the Boston Marathon bombing investigation.

Voting records indicate that Katherine Russell, of 10 Coriander Lane in North Kingstown, is a relative of bombing suspect Tamerlan Tsarnaev, who was killed in a standoff with police on Friday, April 15.

It has been reported that Russell, 24, is married to Tsarnaev and the two have a 3-year-old daughter together. This information is unconfirmed at this time.

****

5:47 p.m.: For anyone planning to go over to Boston College's Jay McGillis Spring Football Game at Alumni Stadium on Saturday, the game has been cancelled.

****

5:35 p.m.: According to CBS Boston, explosive devices were found by authorities inside the Cambridge apartment of the bombing suspects, Tamerlan and Dzhokhar Tsarnaev. CBS reported that the FBI found pipe bombs.Boston.com, however, is reporting that state police say no explosives were found and the controlled explosion reported earlier in the day is no longer needed.

****

5:30 p.m.: According to Channel 5, the father of the bombing suspects has asked his younger son Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, to turn himself in. Boston.com's live blog has excerpts from an interview with lifenews.com, a Russian website, with Anzor Tsarnaev, father of the two bombing suspects.

He said in that interview, "My kids have never seen a gun in their life. They moved to the US for political reasons. In Kyrgyzstan we were oppressed. We wanted a quiet life. I was afraid for my kids and tried to save them."

****

4:35 p.m.: The White House released photos of President Barack Obama as he met with members of his national security team to discuss developments in the Boston bombings investigation, in the Situation Room of the White House. Shown here; left to right, are: FBI Director Robert Mueller; Lisa Monaco, assistant to the president for Homeland Security and Counterterrorism; Attorney General Eric Holder; Deputy National Security Advisor Tony Blinken; and Vice President Joe Biden. The photo was taken by Pete Souza.

****

4:25 p.m.: Due to the unfortunate events that have transpired here in Boston, a lock down has been put into effect until further notice, causing the Hynes Convention Center to suspend all events. As such, The Boston Comic Con will be rescheduled to a date in the not too distant future.

****

4:21 p.m.: WCVB is reporting the bombing suspects were at the 7-Eleven, but did not rob it. The robbery was unrelated.

****

4:20 p.m.: The next press conference will be held at 5:30 tonight.

****

3:07 p.m.: The Red Sox and Bruins' games have both been canceled tonight.

****

2:28 p.m.: The be-on-the-lookout for the green Honda has been canceled by the State Police.

****

2:17 p.m.: A tumblr page for people to post remembrances of Sean Collier, the slain 26 year-old MIT officer was set up: http://seancolliermemories.tumblr.com/.

****

2:06 p.m.: Connecticut State Police issued an alert for another vehicle—a 1999 Green Honda Civic, Mass. registration 116 GC7. The FBI says the bomber may be driving this vehicle.

****

1:44 p.m.: According to CBS News, Amtrak service between Boston and New York City has been suspended.

****

1:35 p.m.: Anyone who went to work and has been "sheltering in place" there is being told they can go home."

We're learning that a number of people, large numbers of people, found their way to work before receiving the message and are now sheltering in place at worksites and offices throughout the city," Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency Director Kurt Schwartz said at a press conference. "If you are at work, we do not expect you to shelter in place and stay there. We encourage you to leave, to get in your cars and drive home."

As public transit is not operating, he urged those without cars to take a taxi or call a friend to pick them up and bring them home.

****

1:12 p.m.: A West New York woman identifying herself as the sister of the Boston Marathon suspects said she's "hurt for everyone who has been hurt," according to a report on NJ.com.

The woman wouldn't identify herself but referred to brothers Dzhokhar A. Tsarnaev, 19, and Tamerlan Tsarnaev, 26, as her brothers. Tamerlan Tsarnaev was killed early this morning by law enforcement in Massachusetts, and a manhunt is underway to locate Dzhokhar.

“They were great people. I never would have expected it,” the woman told NJ.com. “They are smart—I don’t know what’s gotten into them.
"At the end of the day, no one knows the truth," she could be heard saying in a video on NJ.com. "I have no idea if that was my brother who planned everything.

"I’m sorry for all the people who are hurt and for all the people who lost their lives," she said.

****

12:59 p.m.: The Transit Police officer injured in a shootout last night has been identified as 33-year-old Winchester resident Richard H. Donohue Jr. Donohue has been an officer with the Transit Police for three years, according to HomeNewsHere.com.

****

12:56 p.m.: A Collier family statement was read on Channel 4: We are heartbroken by the loss of our wonderful and caring son and brother, Sean Collier. Our only solace is Sean died bravely, doing what he committed his life to—serving and protecting others. We are thankful for the outpouring of support and condolences offered by so many people. We are grieving his loss and ask that the media respect our privacy at this time.

****

12:40 p.m.: At a press conference minutes ago, Gov. Deval Patrick said the stay indoors order remains in place, and the investigation continues to develop.Police said surviving Boston bombing suspect Dzhokhar Tsarnaev has not been apprehended at this time."

There are continuing developments in the investigation which we will be able to talk about – not now, but later," Patrick said.

"We are progressing through this neighborhood, going door to door, street to street," said State Police Col. Superintendent Timothy Alben. He said they have searched about 60 to 70 percent of the Watertown neighborhood they have been looking at.

Alben also said there will be a controlled explosion at a home on Norfolk Street in Cambridge this afternoon, before proceeding with a search of the premises.He said several new leads are developing, and another update will provided in about an hour.

Watertown Police Chief Edward Deveau thanked residents for staying indoors and allowing police to continue their search, but said more time is needed. He said it may be tomorrow or even further into the weekend before the crime scene is under control.

Boston Mayor Thomas Menino also spoke at the press conference.

"We're a city that's not going to let the terrorists win over," he said. "We're going to get through this, we'll be a stronger city as we move forward."

****

12:24 p.m.: The Boston Globe created a map of the manhunt.

****

12:18 p.m.: Slate writer Emily Bazelon said her two friends who went to school with Dzhokhar Tsarnaev at Cambridge Ringe and Latin, can’t believe he is capable of the terror he and his brother inflicted this week on Boston.

“He was really nice,” Bazelon said Sam Greenberg, now a junior at Harvard, told her, adding he played sports and was “pretty quiet.” “He was pretty quiet. Didn’t have a ton to say but was very normal, seemed like a nice kid.”

****

12:02 p.m.: State Police Spokesman David Procopio told reporters gathered in Watertown that the gray Honda CRV is believed to have been involved in the carjacking last night. Procopio did not know how exactly it was involved, and that police have, in fact, found the car in Massachusetts.

****

11:55 a.m. An emotional Ruslan Tsarni, the uncle of the two suspects, referred to his nephews as "losers" in a brief media availability held minutes ago outside his home.

"I never, ever would imagine that somehow children of my brother would be associated with that," he said. "It is atrocity."

Tsarni said his family has not seen his nephews since December of 2005. He said he never knew either of them to have any ill will toward the U.S.

"Even if I had a guess or something, I would just submit them myself," he said.

Asked what might have prompted his nephews to set bombs and shoot police officers, Tsarni replied, "Being losers. Hatred to those who were able to settle themselves. These are the only reasons I can imagine. Anything else to do with religion, Islam, it's a fraud, it's a fake.

"Of course we're ashamed, they're children of my brother," he added. "I respect this country, I love this country."

Tsarni also urged his nephew, Dzhokhar A. Tsarnaev, to turn himself in to authorities."Turn yourself in," he said. "You bring shame to this family."

****

11:48 a.m. The FAA has issued a temporary flight restriction, prohibiting air traffic in a 9 mile radius of Boston at less than 3,001 ft in altitude to provide for safe environment for law enforcement. This includes Watertown where the shootout occurred between police and suspects earlier this morning.

****

11:28 a.m. A YouTube video, which purportedly documents gunfire during last night's shootout with police, has been posted in our gallery.  

****

11:21 a.m. Acela Express & Northeast Regional service is suspended indefinitely between Providence, RI and Boston.

****

11:16 a.m. Cab service in Boston restored, according to Boston Police. 

****

10:43 a.m. Watertown Police Scanner: Police report they may have second suspect on the ground, at gunpoint. He reportedly "has a device" strapped to him. Location withheld. 10:40 a.m. UMass Dartmouth is being evacuated. "Please leave campus calmly as soon as possible. Go to umassd.edu for more details." 

****

10:24 a.m. The car has been found in Boston, according to Connecticut Police.

****

10:08 a.m. BULLETIN: MA Plate 316ES9 - 99 Honda CR-V, grey in color. This vehicle may be related to the Terror investigation. Call 911 ASAP if seen. Connecticut Police are also looking for the vehicle. 

****

9:57 a.m. Long Island News News 12 reports that a train was searched at the East Norwalk station in relation to the manhunt.

****

9:34 a.m. More on the MIT police officer: Collier first joined the MIT Police Force in January of 2012. Prior to that, he was a civilian employee of the Somerville Police Department, according to the Middlesex District Attorney's office. 

Chief DiFava described Collier as a dedicated officer who was "extremely well liked" by his colleagues and the MIT community, according to a press release. 

Collier was reportedly found with "multiple gunshot wounds" around 10:30 p.m. Thursday on the MIT Campus.

He was later pronounced dead at Mass General Hospital. 

****

9:33 a.m. The Middlesex District Attorney's office identified Sean Collier, 26, of Somerville, as the MIT police officer who was shot to death late Thursday. 

****

9:31 a.m. "Alvi Tsarni, whose nephew is Tamerlan, told WBZ-TV in an interview, that “it is not possible,” the two men raised committed the bombing and Watertown shooting. 

“I can’t believe this,” he told WBZ-TV. 

Tsarni said Tamerlan had been in the United States for 7 or 8 years and that he had spoken to him on Thursday, April 18. He said the boys grew up in Kyrgzstan.

Tsarni said he learned from a relative that Tamerlan had been killed. 


****

9:03 a.m. Mass State Police's strike team is requesting MBTA buses to evacuate neighbors. 

****

8:44 a.m. Boston Globe Reports: "BREAKING: Police have surrounded a home in Watertown in hunt for Marathon terror bomb suspect." [EDITOR'S NOTE: Address removed to avoid compromising investigation.]

****

8:41 a.m. The suspects' uncle tells Fox 25 that they have lived here since 2000-2001, have two sisters in their early 20s, and their parents are back living in Chechnya. 

Asked what he would say to his nephew Dzhokhar A. Tsarnaev, on the run from police, right now if he could, the uncle said, "I would say Dzhokhar, turn yourself in. Turn yourself in. Whatever it is in your head, it's wrong. It's false. You murdered people. Go and ask mercy from the families. This is the only thing."

The uncle suggested the older brother, Tamerlan Tsarnaev, who was killed during a shootout with police in early Friday morning, had an influence over his younger brother, who wanted to be a doctor and was going to college. In contrast, the uncle portrayed the elder brother as being unemployed and not going to school.

Asked if he had a message for the people of Boston, the uncle said, "I'm having this conversation, I was found by my last name. I extend my dearest condolescences, to the victims, to their families. I can't find the right words to express that. I feel for them. I feel for them. It's an atrocity, that's what I say, what's been commited. And it's done by cowards. The only name I would give them being cowards, nothing else."

****

8:30 a.m. - Boston Police have issued new photo of suspect

****

8:23 a.m. -NECN is reporting the controlled detonation of a pipe bomb after a cab was stopped by police in Kenmore Square. -The Associated Press confirms the suspects were brothers, citing an interview with three law enforcement sources and the suspects' uncle. 

*****

8:17 a.m. All taxi service in the City of Boston has been suspended pending further notice.

*****

8:15 a.m. Nearly 1 million people now under stay-at-home order in Massachusetts. That's roughly 935,000 people. #OneBoston

*****

8:09 a.m. Shelter-in-place—the order to stay indoors—extended to all of Boston, Gov. Deval Patrick says at briefing. Previously only Allston-Brighton section of Boston under shelter-in-place order, along with Watertown, Newton, Waltham, Belmont, and Cambridge. 

"There is a massive manhunt underway," Patrick said. "We've got every asset we can possibly muster on the ground right now."

People in those shelter-in-place towns are asked to not the door for anyone other than a properly identified law enforcement officer.

Officials identified MBTA Officer Richard Donahue, Jr., 33, as the transit police officer shot earlier tonight. Patrick said that Donahue was seriously wounded and is currently in surgery.

Boston Police Commissioner Ed Davis said that over the last half hour, officials have been receiving information that has been communicated to Mayor Tom Menino. Davis stressed that "this is an ongoing situation."

State Police Col. Timothy Alben said that the hunt "may take hours" and that the first priority "is with these neighborhoods in Watertown, making them safe and finding this individual." 

***** 
7:54 a.m. Dead suspect has been identified as 26-year-old Tamerlan Tsarnaev according to NBC News. -Police conducted a controlled detonation in the area of Commonwealth Avenue and Charlesgate on Friday morning. NECN has video. ****

7:33 a.m. "Media/public advised to clear area of Norfolk Street in Cambridge. Ongoing investigation. Potentially dangerous. Stay clear." - Cambridge Police.

****

7:10 a.m. Police are advising residents in the areas of Comm Ave. and Charlesgate that officers will conduct a controlled detonation.

****

7:06 a.m. Amtrak service temporarily suspended between Providence and Boston. 

****

6:52 a.m. Lesley, Suffolk, Bentley and Boston College  are also closed today.

****

6:46 a.m. Boston University and Northeastern also closed today. 

****

6:02 a.m. The Globe reports that Harvard, Emerson, and MIT are all closed today.

****

5:50 a.m. Law enforcement officials asking residents of Watertown, Newton, Waltham, Belmont, Cambridge and the Allston-Brighton neighborhoods of Boston to stay indoors and for businesses to not open today.

Also, no vehicle traffic will be allowed in or out of Watertown until further notice. 

****

5:40 a.m. MBTA service has been suspended this morning. 

****

5:30 a.m. Businesses in area of 480 Arsenal St closed until further notice. Employees instructed to remain home. Per Boston PD 

****

5:28 a.m. The first suspect was pronounced dead at 1:35 a.m. at Beth Israel Hospital, hospital officials said in a press conference.

Hearing the shots and explosions in Watertown, the hospital prepared for another mass casualty incident as on Monday. At 1:10 a.m. the EMS system notified the hospital that a patient was coming in with multiple injures—combination of potentially a blast injury and gunshot wounds.

That adult male arrived at the hospital under police guard at 1:20 a.m. in traumatic arrest with CPR ongoing. Physicians spent about 10-15 minutes trying to recesitate the suspect before he was pronounced dead.

Beth Israel initially had 24 patients from the bombings on Monday and still has 12 patients from the bombings in the hospital.

Physicians said they do not have any information on the identity of the deceased patient to release other than him being an adult male.

****

5:12 a.m. A witness in Watertown tells Patch reporter Charlie Breitrose she was getting ready for bed when she heard multiple gunshots.

She thought they may have been fireworks, but heard about the MIT shooting on the news and wondered if they were related. "I heard big booms and then I really got scared," she said. She and her parents saw a man lying on the ground near Mt. Auburn Street, and police told them to go back inside. 

"I heard more gunshots, at least 12," she said. "We were all scared."

"Now it is hitting home," she added. "You can't get any closer. It is in my backyard...none of us are sleeping."

****

5:04 a.m. All Boston hospitals are on lockdown at this time. 

****

4:59 a.m. Police searching on Dexter Avenue.

****

4:30 a.m. Patch reporter Franklin Tucker said that the manhunt is concentrated on the School Street and Laurel Avenue area—mainly everything south of Mt. Auburn Street to Arsenal.

****

4:14 a.m.  Police have released a photo of the second suspect from surveillance footage. 

****

4:13 a.m. Police being told "not to use their radios." 

****

4:12 a.m. Boston Police Commissioner Ed Davis confirms via his Twitter account that "one suspect is dead. One at large. Armed and dangerous."He refers to the "white hat suspect at large." 

****

3:53 a.m. Officers say controlled detonation in area of Dexter and Laurel going to happen. Air horn before explosion.

****

3:52 a.m. Police scanners indicate a team is heading to the Watertown Mall Target, perimeter is being held. 

****

3:46 a.m. IMPORTANT: Update from Mass State Police: "Police will be going door to door, street by street, in and around Watertown. Police will be clearly identified. It is a fluid situation." 

****

3:34 a.m. Boston Globe reporting that a transit officer has been shot, condition unknown. 

****

3:28 a.m. From Patch reporter Franklin Tucker: "Just heard at road block that police are beginning to evacuate homes as the search continues."

****

3:24 a.m. Media email from Watertown PD: "This is Detective Connors with the Watertown Police Department there's an active incident in Watertown. Chief Deveau is advising all east end Watertown residents to remain in their homes. if you hear or see anything suspicious call the Watertown Police Department at 617-972 6500"

****

3:23 a.m. Open door at 465 Arsenal Street, Cops requesting flashlights and canines, per scanner. 

****

3:15 a.m. MIT website says "it's safe to resume normal activities" on the campus. It encourages community members to "remain vigilant." 

****

3:14 a.m. The FBI Boston Division issues a statement they are aware of the law enforcement activity in the greater Boston area. "The situation is on-going.  We are working with local authorities to determine what happened."

****

3:12 a.m. Foot pursuit has ended, police said. "No active police pursuit at this time." Report of a white male on a bicycle wearing a white cap. 

****

3:02 a.m. Police are engaged in a foot pursuit on North Beacon Street near the mall. 

****

2:58 a.m. Mass Police: "There will be no briefing on the street in Watertown."

****

2:54 a.m. From the State Police Twitter Account: "MSP assisting Cambridge, MIT police in investigation into shooting. Victim is MIT officer. No arrests at this time."

****

2:48 a.m. Police scanners transmit police are looking for the suspect "in the white hat from the photos." 

****

2:44 a.m. Reverse 911 call: "There is an active incident in Watertown right now. Chief Deveau is advising all residents if they see or hear anything to call the Watertown Police Dept."

****

2:38 a.m.-MIT police say suspect in fatal shooting of officer is no longer on campus, but is still at large.-Newton Police are handling all police calls in Watertown unrelated to the incident. 

****

2:25 a.m. Hazel Street home cleared, residents allowed back inside. 

****

2:24 a.m. Reports of more possible shots fired in Watertown, location not known. 

****

2:23 a.m. Resident at 14 Hazel reportedly heard foot-steps on the roof. 

****

2:17 a.m. A Patch employee near the scene reports he heard "40-50 shots fired." Said he started counting after hearing "a dozen or so."

****

2:15 a.m. From Patch reporter Franklin Tucker: "Cops are going up and down the side streets yelling at everyone to 'Get inside and lock your doors!' They are walking around with flashlights and guns drawn. On me!"

****

2:07 a.m. SWAT on-scene. 

****

2:05 a.m. Police are looking at a house at 14 Hazel Street with an open door. They are waiting for backup before entering. 

****

1:57 a.m. Police have requested a reverse-911 message be broadcast to Watertown residents: "We dont want anybody coming out of their homes right now." 

****

1:53 a.m. Police robot is still on Laurel Street. Residents report helicopters are "everywhere." Police search continues.

****

1:38 a.m. Reports of an explosion, likely controlled and intended by police. 

****

1:33 a.m. Police are reportedly advising journalists and other officers to turn off their cell phone devices. It is unclear why, though it may be due to concern about explosive devices. 

****

1:30 a.m. A bomb team is working to clear multiple devices, sweeping multiple cars in the area of Mt. Auburn Street and Dexter Avenue. 

****

1:26 a.m. Police may have unexploded devices on Laurel and Dexter, getting residents out of there. Another possible suspect may be involved. 

****

1:25 a.m. Suspect is being held at Mt. Auburn St. and Adams St. in Watertown. 

****

1:22 a.m. Boston Police Chief Linskey is on scene. 

****

1:20 a.m. Police believe they have second suspect in custody. Potential mistaken identity, police are confirming. 

****

1:17 a.m. "Party on the ground, Boston PD is requesting assistance on Upland." - Watertown PD Scanner
****

1:16 a.m. One suspect remains at large. Another in custody. 

****

1:03 a.m. Two officers are down at the scene in Watertown, as is one of the two suspects, according to police scanner reports.

****

12:55 a.m.Two men allegedly hijacked a black Mercedes SUV in Cambridge around midnight, according to police scanner reports. The men let the driver out of the vehicle on Memorial Drive about 30 minutes later, according to the reports.Police then tracked the vehicle to Watertown and are currently in a shootout with the suspects near 105 Laurel St. in Watertown, according to the reports. There are also reports of explosions in that area.

It is unclear if this incident is related to the MIT shooting at this time.

ORIGINAL STORY

A MIT Police officer is dead after a campus shooting near Vassar and Main Streets, the Middlesex District Attorney confirmed early Friday morning. The officer was responding to a report of a disturbance when he was reportedly shot, a press release reads. Evidence was found of "multiple gunshot wounds." He was pronounced deceased at Mass General Hospital. Authorities are aware of no other victims.

No arrests have been made and the situation is ongoing. According to a report in the The Atlantic, MIT released an emergency alert at 10:48p.m. Thursday. "Shots fired near 32 Vassar Street (Stata Center)," the notice read. "Police officer down. Please stay inside."

At 12:01 a.m., the official MIT Twitter account tweeted, "Police are sweeping the campus in relation to the shooting at Building 32/76 (Stata/Koch), continue to stay indoors until further notice."

Patch will update this story as more details become available. 

Are you in touch with family and friends in the affected areas? Tell us what they are hearing in the comments.


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

To request removal of your name from an arrest report, submit these required items to arrestreports@patch.com.