Following today’s one-year anniversary memorial events for the victims of last year’s Boston Marathon bombing, police evacuated the area surrounding the marathon finish line Tuesday evening after a barefoot man wearing a long black veil and chanting “Boston Strong” dropped a backpack on the ground in the area.
Reporters in the area tweeted photos of the scene:
Breaking: Area near Boston Marathon Finish Line evacuated after backpack left unattended http://t.co/eAsZImNeIf pic.twitter.com/M6sfh62FYK
— WBZ Boston News (@cbsboston) April 15, 2014
BREAKING: Wider shot of bag left at #BostonMarathon finish line that has forced police to move people. Watch #WBZ-TV pic.twitter.com/GqQPZdGdVL
— Peter Wilson (@PetesWire) April 15, 2014
Breaking News: Suspicious backpack left at finish line. Area is in lockdown. pic.twitter.com/tSCnSD3ZeA
— Scott Sullivan (@SullyBunz) April 15, 2014
The #Boston PD Bomb Squad is suiting up to check out a suspicious backpack left near the marathon finish line. pic.twitter.com/uCeZfpT7eQ
— David Meyers (@davidfmeyers) April 15, 2014
The Boston Police Department confirmed the situation as well:
Public Safety Alert: #BPD investigating 2 unattended backpacks found in the area of Boston Marathon Finish Line.
— Boston Police Dept. (@bostonpolice) April 15, 2014
#BPDPublicSafetyAlert: #BPD Bomb Squad still on scene in the area of Marathon Finish Line investigating call for 2 unattended backpacks.
— Boston Police Dept. (@bostonpolice) April 15, 2014
Sarah French, a reporter for WHDH in Boston, posted an video of the man who dropped the backpack on Instagram:
UPDATE (8:25pm ET): Boston police confirmed they have a man in custody in connection with unattended backpacks:
#BPDPublicSafetyAlert: #BPD confirming a male suspect in custody in connection to the unattended backpacks found at the Finish Line.
— Boston Police Dept. (@bostonpolice) April 16, 2014
UPDATE (8:40pm ET): Police reportedly detonated the suspicious bag(s) near Boylston Street:
"FIRE IN THE HOLE!" just yelled on Boylston by the Boston PD.
— David Meyers (@davidfmeyers) April 16, 2014
An explosion has been heard on Boylston near the #Boston Marathon finish line as the bomb squad has completed a detonation per protocol.
— David Meyers (@davidfmeyers) April 16, 2014
UPDATE (8:50pm ET): The NECN Twitter account posted this photo of the suspect in police custody:
EXCLUSIVE PHOTO: Male suspect in @bostonpolice custody in unattended bags investigation at finish line pic.twitter.com/W4ENWLJybG
— NECN (@NECN) April 16, 2014
UPDATE (10:10pm ET): WBZ is reporting a source who says the suspect told police he had a rice cooker in the bag he placed at finish line. The bombs that killed three people at last year’s Boston Marathon were constructed using pressure cookers. Police have detonated the bags, but so far there is no evidence that they did contain explosives.
Source: Suspect Told Police He Had Rice Cooker In Backpack Near Marathon Finish Line http://t.co/cCpQPZGUX5 pic.twitter.com/i7b5SQltnE
— WBZ Boston News (@cbsboston) April 16, 2014
We will continue to update this post with more information as it becomes available.
[photos via Twitter]
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