As I said a few times earlier this evening, we have no direct evidence that the situation unfolding north of Boston is related to the Boston marathon bombings. However, as the situation has escalated over the last half hour, there’ve been running gun fights and explosions at least in Watertown, the town immediately west of Cambridge.
Given that and the massive police deployment, it seems hard to believe that these are not connected in some way to Monday’s bombing. But again all we seem to know is that this grows out of the shooting incident at MIT that happened late Thursday night.
Late Update – 1:32 AM: As of this moment, little is certain about what’s happening north of Boston with any certainty. So treat this all as tentative. But I’ll try to give you as clear a read as I can.
Things seem to have started with a shooting of an MIT police office. He later died. There was a big police mobilization. And then things seemed to move to the town next door, Watertown. A carjacking may have been what brought the situation from Cambridge to Watertown. Once the commotion moved to Watertown there were numerous reports of gunfire and explosions. At this moment, two suspects have reportedly been apprehended in Watertown, though there are conflicting reports that a second person has been taken into custody. More shortly.
I’m going to try to update this as carefully as I can. Going from scattered reports, the situation that began at MIT appears to have expanded toward Watertown. Seems to be a very complicated situation involving police from multiple police municipalities. There’s too much ‘fog of war’ uncertainty to say more with any certainty. Would recommended following the Twitter feed of The Tech (MIT student paper). Wesley Lowery (Globe). Eric Moskowitz (Globe).
Late Update – 1:06 AM: Chaotic surreal situation unfolding north of Boston. Gunfire and explosions in Watertown, the town just west of Cambridge.
At one point police officers screamed that they feared IEDs, no explosions where I am but officers here were horrified. #MITShooting
— Wesley Lowery (@WesleyLowery) April 19, 2013
Horrifying silence right now. Cops have largely left this area and run further toward alleged explosions/shootout
— Wesley Lowery (@WesleyLowery) April 19, 2013
1:55 AM: Appears to be confirmation that one suspect is in custody in Watertwon situation. Unconfirmed reports that a second suspect broke through barricade and escaped.
Police tape just lifted at Mt Auburn and Kimball for bomb squad truck twitter.com/GlobeMoskowitz…
— Eric Moskowitz (@GlobeMoskowitz) April 19, 2013
2:11 AM: So much chaos and scattered reports it’s really hard to know what did or is happening. All I think we can be totally certain about is that there was a fatal shooting of a MIT police officer at the MIT campus and then a car-jacking that led police on a chase into Watertwon (the town next door). A lot more seems to have happened. And there is a massive, massive police presence and various SWAT and bomb squads on the scene. But given everything that’s happened this week, I don’t think we can be certain of anything else.
2:15 AM: First full write up in the NYT …
Two young men, armed with guns and explosives in what appeared to be backpacks, engaged in a violent standoff with dozens of police on a street in Watertown, Mass., Thursday night, a resident said.
Full story here. Very hard to know what to make of this report. It’s NYT reporter on the scene and account of an eyewitness.
A marathon suspect is in custody as manhunt continues for another in Watertown, according to official with knowledge of the investigation.
— Jennifer Peter (@GlobeJenPeter) April 19, 2013
I have a series of running updates in the post below about an on-going shooting incident at MIT. That’s in Cambridge, just across the Charles River from Boston. I want to stress, however, there is no evidence that this is related to the bombing investigation.
Gunshots were heard on the campus about an hour and 20 minutes ago. A MIT police officer was seriously wounded and has been taken to Mass General. Police have cordoned off the area and there appears to be an active manhunt underway.
Late Update – 12:08 AM: Multiple local news reports say the police officer has died.
There’s been some debate online tonight about an image that’s emerged in the aftermath of the Boston Marathon bombing. The photo shows crowds scrambling after one of Monday’s explosions. It also shows, on the left-hand side of the image, a man in a white ball cap who looks a lot like a man that the FBI announced earlier in the day was a suspect in the attack.
Amateur sleuths have debated whether the photo is real or Photoshopped. But now, the New York Times has talked to a guy who says he snapped it with his iPhone right after the explosion. He says it’s the real deal. (More after the jump.) Read More
MIT’s website has just (17 minutes ago) reported a shooting on its campus …
At 10:48 PM today gunshots were reported near Building 32 (Stata) which is currently surrounded by responding agencies. The area is cordoned off. Please stay clear of area until further notice. Unknown if injuries have occurred.. Although the situation is considered active and extremely dangerous, an investigation is underway. Updates will be provided at this site when more information becomes available.
Late Update – 11:21 PM: MIT website updates, calls situation an “active shooter incident”.
Late Update – 11:23 PM: Just so we’re clear: there is no evidence that this is related to the bombings. But new updates suggest this is not a few random shots but a serious on-going situation that police are responding to in force. More updates to follow.
Late Update – 11:29 PM: The MIT Student paper is reporting that an MIT police officer was shot and has been taken to Mass General. Here’s The Tech’s twitter feed.
Photo from the #MIT shooting #CambMA (warning: potentially graphic) twitter.com/thetech/status…
— The Tech (@thetech) April 19, 2013
Late Update – 11:39 PM: An update from the Boston Globe on the officer’s condition.
Late Update – 11:46 PM: CNN reporting that FBI has responded to incident at MIT.
Late Update – 11:53 PM: Local TV report on the incident with video. Let me stress again, no evidence that this is related to the bombing situation.
MIT’s website has just (17 minutes ago) reported a shooting on its campus …
At 10:48 PM today gunshots were reported near Building 32 (Stata) which is currently surrounded by responding agencies. The area is cordoned off. Please stay clear of area until further notice. Unknown if injuries have occurred.. Although the situation is considered active and extremely dangerous, an investigation is underway. Updates will be provided at this site when more information becomes available.
An infuriating (at the New York Post), depressing, sad interview with Salah Eddin Barhoum, the 17 year old Moroccan immigrant in those pictures posted on Reddit and the New York Post. “I’m going to be scared going to school. Workwise, my family, everything is going to be scary.”
Guy witnesses and survives the Boston bombing and then flies home to Texas where he’s there to see the fertilizer plant explosion.