TORONTO – The entire city of Boston is under lock down as a massive manhunt is under for the second suspect in the Boston bombings.
Coordinating a lock down has involved efforts from thousands of police officers from multiple agencies including the Boston Police Department, Massachusetts Transportation Authority, and the federal authorities.
Boston Police Commissioner Ed Davis made an announcement early Friday morning, urging residents to stay inside while federal and local law enforcement conduct their search. Officials have identified Dzhokhar A. Tsarnaev, 19, and Tamerlan Tsarnaev, 26, as suspects in the Boston bombings.
The two suspects are also wanted in connection with Thursday night’s shooting at MIT which killed one security officer.
Police said Tamerlan Tsarnaev died during a police chase early Friday morning.
The city of Boston is virtually paralyzed while FBI, SWAT, and the Boston Police department conduct their city wide manhunt for Dzhokhar.
The lock down began with a tweet from the Boston Police sent out at 3:43am Friday morning advising residents to stay in their homes.
@Boston_police: #CommunityAlert: Residents of Watertown asked to stay indoors.Do not answer door unless instructed by a police officer.
Boston’s Logan Airport said it’s open but operating under heightened security. Airport officials are advising passengers to check their flight status before heading to the airport. Officials are also coordinating with the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority who has shut down public transportation in Boston, and the Amtrak service Boston has been halted according to The Associated Press.
Major bus companies Mega Bus, Greyhound, and Peter Pan Bus Lines have also suspended service to Boston. Early Friday Bloomberg News reported that Governor Deval Patrick ordered businesses in Watertown, Newton, Waltham, Belmont, Cambridge and Boston to close for the day.
Area schools from Harvard University to Boston College canceled classes, and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where a shooting occurred late Thursday night, also canceled classes for the day. The business community has also responded to the lock down as major companies told employees to stay home, that included Merck & Co. and Pfizer Inc.
NOTE: Global News has not verified any of these tweets.
As the manhunt continues for the suspect in the Boston Marathon bombing officials are asking residents of the Boston area to remain inside.
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