Return to Transcripts main page
Breaking News
Night of Mayhem in Boston Area
Aired April 19, 2013 - 4:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
JAKE TAPPER, CNN ANCHOR: No, please tell us, what are you -- what are you seeing in Watertown?
DREW GRIFFIN, CNN SPECIAL INVESTIGATIONS UNIT CORRESPONDENT: Jake, the situation is pretty much the same has it has been for about the last hour or so. A significant presence down the street of police. We do have additional video of the suspect that was brought into custody here clothed, and we are hoping we can show that video. This is the suspect that was brought into custody here in Watertown. We only know that it's related to whatever did happen here in Watertown. We don't want to draw any conclusions to this man, but we do know that the FBI was -- was questioning this man.
They took him out of the car twice and put him up against a wall, appeared to photograph him, and then placed him back into a car. As far as we know, that suspect is still being held in a police car not far from where I am standing. We understand that one other suspect is still on the loose apparently in Watertown and that police here have warned all residents, not only to not come outside, but not to open their doors to anyone except for a police officer who may be checking on their welfare.
It seems to be a very dangerous situation taking place here in Watertown. At the same time that the FBI is actively trying to draw some conclusion, whether or not this activity here in Watertown is related to what happened at the Boston marathon on Monday.
It was just 5:00 today when the FBI released two photographs of the suspects they believe were involved in the Boston marathon bombing. Two young men, both of them carrying backpacks. Both of them having ball caps on. And the FBI had the admonition that we need these people brought in, please, to the public. If you know them, call.
About 10:30 tonight, there was a shooting on the campus of MIT in Cambridge. A police officer there shot, wounded and eventually taken to a hospital where he died. And shortly after that there was another report of a carjacking. Carjacking happened in the Cambridge area. Then a massive shootout and chase which took place here in Watertown.
All of these somewhat connected on the same string of roads, but we don't know if all of this activity is all connected to each individual event I just named or if any of it is connected to the Boston marathon itself. We do know that the FBI has joined in this investigation here in Watertown to determine if there is any link between the two, and it certainly looks like by the increased activity we're seeing that there is much more activity -- Jake.
Apparently we are going to be reporting on the activity. And from what I understand, we may be getting more information from the Massachusetts state police spokesperson, although he has left the scene and gone back to his headquarters. Perhaps just to assemble the information from all the agencies involved. There were as many -- as a dozen I believe -- police agencies, maybe more, involved in this activity. SWAT activity going on, there was, according to our witnesses -- police actively actively going between houses trying to find somebody.
And also from the Massachusetts State Police spokesperson, a quote, that he believes that explosive devices may have been used, multiple possible explosive devices were used against police at the incident that took place here in Watertown. It is very coincidental at this point. We are trying to not draw any conclusions, but at the same time this is very coincidental to what has been happening to all the activity there.
We continue our coverage of this crazy night and crazy week here in Boston with Jake Tapper and John Berman -- gentlemen.
ANNOUNCER: This is CNN breaking news.
TAPPER: Good morning. Our breaking news coverage continues here on CNN. I'm Jake Tapper.
JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: I'm John Berman here with Jake, who's just been doing a phenomenal job, bringing us up to speed on everything going on all night. It is now 4:00 a.m. in the East. And it has been a night of murder, been a night of gunfire. Reports of explosions rocking the Boston area. This all happening while you were sleeping, really going on all night long.
People in or near Watertown, a town just outside of Boston, about eight miles from here, being told to stay indoors. Do not answer the door unless the people can identify themselves as really a police officer right now. As we've been saying, it was really a night of sheer mayhem here starting with shootings on the campus of MIT in Cambridge, or I should say a shooting.
That is about a mile from where we're standing, which is the site of the Boston marathon bombing. A police officer was killed in that shooting then a short time later there was carjacking there. And then a police chase with reports of explosives involved.
TAPPER: It was a harrowing evening. It all led to a massive police and FBI operation in nearby Watertown. There a male suspect has been apprehended. Take a look at this exclusive CNN video. The suspect ordered to strip naked before being taken into custody. Now we are waiting to hear from investigators whether there is a connection to Monday's terrorist attack at the Boston marathon, the two bombings that killed three individuals and maimed so many others.
BERMAN: We are standing by at this moment for a news conference from Watertown, from law enforcement official there. We will bring that to you the very second that it starts. In the meantime, we want to go to CNN's Drew Griffin who has been on the streets of Watertown all night tracking this story. Let's get the very latest -- Drew.
GRIFFIN: We can tell you that the suspect that we saw getting into the car, the one who was ordered naked, has been questioned now three different times by the different various agencies that we have here. And my producer, David Fitzpatrick, just observed the man. He is still being held here on the scene, which to me is somewhat peculiar. He was, as you say, ordered to strip naked completely.
Obviously, the police were very concerned because earlier in the evening during this chase we were told by the Massachusetts State Police spokesperson, Dave Procopio, that multiple possible explosive devices were used against police here at the incident in Watertown, from witnesses who saw and heard what happened, we believe that some of those possible explosive devices were actually thrown from a fleeing car at the police.
So it was a very chaotic scene. It remains not chaotic but confusing at this moment with the caveat that the people of Watertown are being advised there's still a very dangerous person on the loose and to not even open their doors unless it is a policeman knocking on the other side of their doors.
So, gentlemen, a chaotic scene, we do hope to get more information, official information, but right now we can tell you this is still an active crime scene investigation with one suspect apparently being held in some sort of custody as police look for a second suspect.
BERMAN: All right. Drew, thanks so much. As you said right now, the one suspect that we know of being held on the scene, that is very interesting. We also know from the Massachusetts State Police they intend to go door-to-door in Watertown. They put out a notice saying they will go door-to-door in Watertown, knocking on doors, finding out what is in each house. They do tell the people of Watertown that the police officers will be clearly identified.
So if someone knocks at your door, make sure they are a cop before you let them in. Otherwise, people in Watertown, please stay inside. Law enforcement officers are stressing that right now.
One other update, we do know that at MBTA officer, a transportation officer, was also wounded in the activities that have been going on for the last several hours. He's being treated right now at a local area hospital.
Again, as we have been saying the last several hours, it is simply a chaotic evening in the Boston area. It was Monday when there were the bombings just behind me at the finish line of the Boston marathon. Then last night at about 5:00 law enforcement officials and the FBI released photos of people they call possible suspects, two young men, one in the white hat, one in the black hat at the end of the Boston marathon.
And then last night the chaos, a shooting at MIT, a prestigious university across the street, across the river, I should say, in Cambridge, Massachusetts. A policeman was killed there. Then there was a car chase that ultimately ended up in Watertown about eight miles from here. There is now someone, we believe, a suspect in custody. However, people are telling people in that town of Watertown to stay inside because there may be someone else on the loose.
Tom Fuentes is a CNN analyst, a former assistant director with the FBI. He knows a lot about situations like this. He joins us on the phone now from Washington.
Tom, you've been watching this with us all night. What are your observations?
TOM FUENTES, FORMER FBI ASSISTANT DIRECTOR: Well, I think right now you're right about the confusion that's going on in trying to (INAUDIBLE) as to whether it's connected to the Boston marathon bombing and what occurred last night. Several possibilities, could be the individual, they could have received notification from somebody recognizing one or both of the subjects in the video and reporting that and the police possibly approached the location. They ended up in a shootout and explosives being used.
The second possibility is you could have a copycat. You could have somebody else drawing on what they've seen this week in the -- from the marathon bombing and they may have planted explosives. Police responding to that may have gotten in a shootout but one or two subjects.
So that's still a possibility and then the person that's in custody now, trying to verify whether that person is related to the explosive incident at MIT, the killing of a police officer at MIT, and, of course, the Boston marathon bombings. As far as holding the person at the scene, you know, law enforcement, in this case, the FBI, would have to get that subject before the U.S. magistrate in a reasonable time, but in this situation it would be reasonable to keep the person nearby because they want to find out if there's an apartment that they used or they lived in nearby, are there explosives in it?
You have -- they need to try to determine that. If you have residents that are in a building that could be unsafe because there could be hazardous material in it, MIT or even for keeping that subject nearby to get additional information and give out something to the police.
BERMAN: Tom, hang on for a second here because I have a press release from the Middlesex County District Attorney's Office. It is a lengthy pres release but it is important so I'm going to read it in its entirety right now. This again from the Middlesex County District Attorney, the county where a lot of this is going on here in Massachusetts.
It says this. "Police are investigating a fatal shooting of MIT campus police officer by two men who then committed an armed carjacking in Cambridge. Middlesex Acting District Attorney Michael Pelgro, Cambridge Police Commissioner Robert Haas and MIT Police Chief John DiFava announced this evening. At approximately 10:20 p.m., April 18th, police received reports of shots fired on the MIT campus. At 10:30 p.m. an MIT campus police officer was found shot in his vehicle in the area of Vassar and Main Streets.
"According to authorities, the officer was found evidencing multiple gunshot wounds. He was transported to Massachusetts General Hospital and he was pronounced deceased. Authorities launched an immediate investigation into the circumstances of the shooting. The investigation determined two males were involved in the shooting.
"A short time later police received reports of an armed carjacking by two males in the area of Third Street in Cambridge. The victim was carjacked at gunpoint by two males and was kept in the car with the suspects for approximately half an hour. The victim was released at a gas station on Memorial Drive in Cambridge. He was not injured.
"Police immediately began to search for the vehicle and were in pursuit of the vehicle into Watertown. At that time explosive devices were reportedly thrown from the car by suspects. The suspects and police also exchanged gunfire in the area of Dexter and Laurel Streets. During this pursuit an MBTA police officer was seriously injured and transported to the hospital. During the pursuit, one suspect was critically injured and transported to the hospital where he was pronounced deceased.
"An extensive manhunt is going on in the Watertown area for the second suspect who was believed to be armed and dangerous. The case is being investigated by local, state and federal authorities working in cooperation. The Massachusetts State Police bomb squad is assessing and removing any potentially dangerous explosive devices that may have been thrown onto the street by the Watertown suspects. The investigation remains active ongoing. No further information is available at this time."
Wow, that is a whole lot of information. And that describes a scene as we have been saying, it is no exaggeration, no hyperbole to say, just complete pure chaos beginning with a shootout, multiple shots fired at MIT, the campus in Cambridge. Then you have a carjacking with the suspect being -- the suspects, two men, keeping the man who own the car, in the car with them for half an hour. A police chase into Watertown, explosive possibly thrown out of the window during the police chase. One suspect being injured during the police chase, being taken to the hospital and since deceased. And then one suspect currently on the loose.
That's right.
BERMAN: Juliette Kayyem is here with me right now. This is extraordinary.
KAYYEM: It is extraordinary. So a couple of takeaways. So obviously nothing about a connection to what happened here on Monday, and it's important that any such connection be made in the utmost care. Because for one, one of them is still on the loose. And we don't want to give the people of Boston, the people of this nation, the false impression that this is either over or ongoing. It's possible that these are two separate incidents that's just unfortunately taking place in the same city.
So the silence on that issue means they are not prepared to say there's a match. And when they determine that there's not a match, that's what I'm looking for, is they are not a match, in other words, can they say these are not the same two guys, then we will know it's just sort of a bad coincidence. So we haven't heard that yet. So that's interesting to me.
The other thing is, you know, we tend to think about homeland security and national security as, you know, sort of a federal effort. And what's remarkable in all of this, while the FBI is taking the lead on the investigation, of course, all of this is being done by local and state law enforcement. That's the way it works.
BERMAN: Campus police.
KAYYEM: Campus police.
BERMAN: (INAUDIBLE) police.
KAYYEM: So what we don't know still, and it's interesting just to see what triggered it, it may have been that the MIT police officer recognized the gentlemen after the pictures, is what started this evening, beginning with a police officer being killed, which is -- it doesn't happen very often. These MIT campuses are very open, very safe. And what started this long line of events, is it related to the 5:00 p.m. release of the pictures?
BERMAN: All right. So this release makes clear that there is still a suspect on the loose.
KAYYEM: Right.
BERMAN: There is one suspect taken to the hospital who is deceased. What's interesting about this to me is this doesn't take into account that the man that we saw strip naked and put into a police vehicle, unless that man subsequently died, but we don't believe that to be the case.
KAYYEM: Right. Right.
BERMAN: So that man who we have that video of of being stripped naked, handcuffed and put into a police vehicle. Unclear --
KAYYEM: Right. And it's very possible that a lot of people get --
BERMAN: -- whether he is one of these two men.
KAYYEM: You know, as this has been unfolding for the last couple of hours, and it has taken place literally over the course of Boston and Cambridge and Watertown. It's a lot of space. It's very possible that there are some false hits. And look, the police officers here don't know what they are working with, so there's the utmost of caution. You heard Seth (INAUDIBLE) earlier talk about being moved from his car, he can't get access to his car because this is unfolding and what people watching this should know is -- what they want to do is get the match right if there is a match. Because that will mean a lot to the city. It will -- it will mean a lot to this nation. It will mean a lot to the city.
BERMAN: Let me bring in Tom Fuentes, former assistant director of the FBI, right now. He's been listening in. He heard that remarkable release from the Middlesex County district attorney.
As Juliette pointed out, it doesn't say it's connected to the Boston bombings here at the end of Boston marathon, it doesn't say it is not connected to the bombings here, the Boston marathon. I will say one thing is clear. And it's happening in the atmosphere --
KAYYEM: Right.
BERMAN: Of, you know, the post-bombings.
(CROSSTALK)
KAYYEM: Absolutely.
BERMAN: Which is why everyone is so concerned about this and why there is an enormous heightened state of security around this entire area.
KAYYEM: Right now.
BERMAN: We'll get to Tom --
(CROSSTALK)
COL. TIMOTHY ALBEN, MASSACHUSETTS STATE POLICE: An officer was shot on campus and has expired as a result of his wounds. There was a carjacking that took place as well in Cambridge involving a Mercedes SUV. That car was ultimately discovered here in Watertown and pursued by the Watertown Police Department.
The pursuit went into a residential neighborhood not far from here where there was an exchange of gunfire between Watertown Police, MBTA police officer, and two suspects in this SUV. During the course of that pursuit, several explosive devices were discharged from the car at the police officers. In the exchange of the gunfire, we believe that one of the suspects was struck and ultimately taken into custody. A second suspect was able to flee from that car and there is an active search going on at this point in time.
An MBTA police officer was struck during that exchange of gun fire and is currently at the Auburn Hospital in critical condition. There's an active search by tactical teams from NEMLEC, from the state police, and the Boston Police Department. The Watertown Police Department are involved in this search as well as traffic diversion throughout the area.
The most important message that we are doing right now is for public safety and the safety of those people in that neighborhood. We are asking everyone to shelter in place for a time being, not to leave their homes. If they see something suspicious other than a police officer coming to their door, they should call 911 immediately.
We also want to forewarn motorists that are traveling through this particular area, even though we are locked down in this neighborhood, that they should not stop for anyone and pick up anyone along the side of the roadway. What we're looking for right now is a suspect considered and consistent with the description of suspect number two, the white capped individual who was involved in Monday's bombing of the Boston marathon.
He was -- we have a picture, a video from the 7-Eleven in Cambridge last night that he is dressed in a gray hoodie-type sweatshirt. He's a light skinned or Caucasian male with longer brown, curly hair. You've seen the picture, you all have it. That's the individual that we're looking for at this moment.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That's suspect number two?
ALBEN: That's suspect number two. The white-capped individual.
UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: Suspect number one was shot then?
ALBEN: That's correct.
UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: So suspect number one was the one the FBI wanted?
ALBEN: I just want to be clear. We will do regular updates to this, but right now we are in a public safety mode here. Our immediate concern is for those people in the neighborhood up there. We have an active search going on by tactical teams to locate and apprehend this particular individual. He should be considered armed and dangerous and is a threat to anybody that might approach him.
So please use extreme caution and stay in your homes. If you hear something, if you see something unusual, we would like you to call 911. Now I'm going to ask Chief Deveau of the Watertown Police Department to just briefly describe the area, the neighborhoods and the streets that are involved up there so everyone is clear on that.
(CROSSTALK)
UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: What's your name?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We're going to let Chief Deveau to go to the speaker.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What's your name?
CHIEF EDWARD DEVEAU, WATERTOWN POLICE: I'm calling on the Watertown community to be calm during this time. We are talking about east Watertown, Dexter, Laurel Street, school street area, to remain in your homes. As the colonel said, we're going to be going doing a search. Please stay in your homes, do not come out. If you get a knock on your door, make sure we will have uniformed officers there to assist with the screening and the safety of these neighborhoods.
Again, the Watertown community has been always very good. We are asking for your cooperation again to assist us during this difficult time.
UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: And is there a controlled blast of some sort over in east Watertown?
ALBEN: No. There's no planned controlled blast of any sort at this time. There are EOD -- explosive ordinance teams that have been up there that are in the process of recovering anything that was discharged from those vehicles. So we're making those safe at this point. Some of them went off. Some we believe did not.
(CROSSTALK)
UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: Do you know how many?
UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: The suspect was dead?
UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: Do you have a name on the suspect --
ALBEN: We are not prepared to talk about identifications. That was one of reasons that those videos were released earlier yesterday.
UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: Where was he shot?
ALBEN: I'm not getting into the specifics about that.
UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: Is he alive?
(CROSSTALK)
ALBEN: We don't have the names at this point.
UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: Is he dead?
(CROSSTALK)
ALBEN: Listen, this is an ongoing -- this is an ongoing investigation. We can't -- we can't get into details on the -- on the descriptions of the suspects or the names. We're trying to get information out to the people who live here that they should stay in their homes and not open their doors unless police officers are there. There's a 20-block perimeter around the location that Chief Deveau just talked about.
We are concerned about securing that area and making sure that this individual is taken into custody. We believe this to be a terrorist. We believe this to be a man who's come here to kill people. We need to get him in custody.
One thing that I just want to say is that there have been two police officers, one killed and one badly injured tonight. Our sympathies go out to Chief McMillan who has a severely injured officer in the hospital, and to Chief DiFava of the MIT Police, and to the families of those officers. This is a terrible tragedy. We don't want to increase it. We want to be very careful of what we do here.
Folks, folks, we've got to we have to get back -- we've got to get back to the (INAUDIBLE). We'll be back in about an hour to brief you again as soon as --
UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: Can you just say if he's alive?
ALBEN: Thank you.
(CROSSTALK)
ALBEN: I think he answered that.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Well, you have been listening to an impromptu press conference. The familiar voice at the end was --
BERMAN: OK. You have been listening to the extraordinary press conference in Watertown, Massachusetts, right now, bringing us up to speed on the events of this night which have been going on since 10:20 p.m.
I'll give you the headline right now as you're looking at that picture right there. That man in that picture is believed to be the man we've been talking about since 5:00 last night as suspect number two in the Boston marathon bombings. He was the man that police say was in the white hat. He is on the loose right now. And there is a manhunt underway right now to find that man.
You're looking at a picture of him right now when he was near the finish line at the Boston marathon. He's on the loose. He is believed to be in the Watertown area, that's a town just about eight miles outside of Boston right now. Police say they will be going door-to-door searching for him. On the loose, believed to be dangerous.
TAPPER: If I can just interject one thing, John, which is if you are in the Watertown area, what the Massachusetts State Police and local law enforcement authorities are saying is do not leave your home and do not answer the door unless it is a clearly identified police officer. If you are in or around Watertown, do not leave your home, do not answer your door unless it is a clearly identified police officer. I'm sorry.
BERMAN: And it's a crucial piece of information -- no, a crucial piece of information if you live in Watertown, really, or any other the surrounding towns. Now this other bit of news, suspect number one from the Boston marathon bombings.
TAPPER: Black hat.
BERMAN: People, police now believe that he has been killed. This was in the course of the events of this last night. This chaotic scene that began at Massachusetts Institute of Technology across the Charles River from here, a police shootout there. Then a car chase, a carjacking, a car chase. Police say that these two men in this car were throwing explosives perhaps out of the car as this chase was going on. One suspect was shot, taken to a hospital, he is now dead. They believe that man to be black hat suspect number one.
TAPPER: Suspect number one. Yes.
BERMAN: In the Boston marathon bombings.
KAYYEM: So this -- as this unfolds over the last three days since the Boston marathon attack, we have been wondering, we sort of knew that they were here, that they had probably planned it here beforehand, but whether that they had an escape route to get out of town was always a question mark. They stuck around. These areas are literally half a mile away, a mile away from the finish line. And we will find out sort of, you know, what triggered all the activities tonight over time.
It is 5:00 the FBI releases their pictures and five hours later you have a shoot-out with the police officer and then one of the suspects is now dead. So everything was happening very, very fast over the course of the last 12 hours, but they -- it appears like they never left town, which is surprising, even to me.
TAPPER: Yes, I'd like to go now to the other gentlemen that has been staying up all night covering this story. One of the many, actually, I should say, but one of the two in front of the camera.
Drew Griffin who was on the scene in Watertown. Drew, what are you seeing? What's the latest from Watertown?
GRIFFIN: The latest here is, as we have been watching through the night, and you know, we have that one person brought into custody, then he was not taken anywhere, he was stripped naked, then he was dressed, pulled out, questioned again, put up against the wall, taken photos of, then he was questioned yet another time but never taken away from this scene. Now according to Jay McMichael, another one of our photojournalists who has that angle, that person has left, has been allowed to leave and go home, I assume.
We don't see any of that emergency door-to-door search that is going on from our vantage point, although we are a very tight cordoned off area here in Watertown just down the street from where we believe the shoot-out took place between the suspects and many different police officers that were responding to this scene.
But, boy, oh, boy, what a night and what a lot of questions we have. And we just have to wonder if that first initial police officer down at MIT was the one who actually identified these possible suspects and basically has now given his life in pursuit of these two -- gentlemen.
TAPPER: Drew, it's been -- it's been a crazy night indeed. And we know that one police officer has been killed, an MIT, Massachusetts transit -- I'm sure I'm botching what the initials stand for --
BERMAN: MBTA.
TAPPER: An MBTA transit police officer has been wounded. And one of the suspects in the Boston -- in the Boston marathon terrorist attacks, one of the suspects, suspect number one with the black hat, has been killed in a shoot-out with police. The second suspect, suspect number two with the white hat, he is still on the loose and he is in Watertown. He's thought to be in Watertown, Massachusetts.
BERMAN: And let me read to you what the police commissioner of Boston says about this man. He says, "We believe this to be a terrorist. We believe this is a man who's come here to kill people," which is why, Jake, the people of Watertown right now need to be so careful. Stay in your homes.
KAYYEM: There's probably about 9,000, from what I'm hearing, police officers on this now, that is everyone and everyone they know right now. This is a massive manhunt related to the -- to the terrorist attack. So I worked in Massachusetts, I know all the individuals that we just saw in that press conference, Davis, Deveau from Watertown, and the Colonel is the Massachusetts State Police, they are all well trained, they are in all of these efforts and they work really well together, which is what's most important now.
No one seems to be trying to step on each other's toes. This is a local and state law enforcement effort. The investigation will go to the FBI and it will go to a criminal court if the second suspect is captured alive and there's a criminal trial, but this is what -- this is what local law enforcement looks like, even though it's an -- it's a terrorist incident.
TAPPER: I want to just repeat this. And we're going to be repeating this throughout the morning until this individual suspect number two with the white hat is apprehended and hopefully brought to justice. And that is if you live in or around the Watertown, Massachusetts, area, police are advising you to stay in your homes and to not answer the door or let anyone into your house unless they are a clearly identified officer of the law.
There is a terrorist, according to the police, terrorist on the loose who wants to kill people. I'm sorry if that sounds alarming and frightening, but this is just the fact of what's going on in Watertown right now. There is a terrorist on the loose according to law enforcement. Stay in your homes, do not let anyone in your house unless it is an identified police officer.
BERMAN: And this is the culmination right now of what has been a six-hour crime odyssey, really, that began on the campus of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge, Massachusetts. It began with a shoot-out there with a campus police officer being killed and followed now by that in a carjacking. There was actually a hostage in that carjacking. They took the man along with them, these two suspects.
(CROSSTALK)
KAYYEM: That's sort of horrible because he's an eyewitness now.
BERMAN: And he was released.
KAYYEM: Right. BERMAN: That man was released. There was a police chase. Police say that they believe that the two suspects threw explosives out of the car during this chase. One suspect during the chase was shot, was wounded, was taken to a hospital. He is now dead. That man is believed to be suspect number one. One of the suspects in the Boston marathon bombing. The man wearing the black hat, if you've seen the pictures. The chase continued after that. And there is now a man on the loose and authorities have released a picture of this man, what he was believed to be wearing tonight.
If we can see a picture of that once again, the man is in a gray hoodie. Hopefully we can take a look. We'll get to it eventually.
TAPPER: Well, one of the things that's been interesting, John, as this case has unfolded overnight is that law enforcement, the FBI have released photographs all night. They have been releasing photographs as they positively identify the individuals in the photographs as being suspect number one and suspect number two.
Probably before you went to bed you knew about the press conference the FBI had shortly after 5:00 p.m. yesterday, Thursday, in which they released some images. You see those images right now on the TV, but all night the FBI has been releasing new images. It started with one that had been essentially crowned sourced. Individuals, millions of Americans and people around the world looking at pictures and images, finding this one picture on one guy's Facebook page in which the corner, suspect number two, suspect number two, was in the corner of it.
"The New York Times" verified it was legitimate. The FBI verified that it was legitimate and then other photographs since then have been coming forward and the FBI has been releasing them.
KAYYEM: So it's going to be daylight relatively soon and that is going to change everyone's behavior. Both people will start to go to work and be outside, but I'm -- I don't want to say I'm terribly confident, but that is going to make the search much easier for the police officers. That's why they want to keep people in Watertown inside because you don't have more people walking around and daylight will expose any places someone may be hiding. He's also alone and being alone he used to have a partner, and that means that he's probably not as confident as he once was and maybe more desperate.
TAPPER: Let's just reset for individuals who are just tuning in here domestically and around the world. Just before 2:00 a.m. Eastern Time a cameraman from affiliate WHDH shot dramatic video of a suspect on the ground surrounded by police. Take a look.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: In this video we're watching here, at some point we might the suspected gunman. At some point. We're not sure where -- and this is the part -- right there on the ground. OK.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Here we go.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Wow. That's -- yielded a great job. And this is where they're backing up here, I guess.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: OK.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Does he have a --
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: His eyes seem to be close. His arms are --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Spread out.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He's on his stomach.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He's on his stomach on the ground, and -- but that is the point where they were backing up. And it's interesting that they are backing up, Adam, and perhaps that he was threatening that he had some sort of a weapon on him. His hand -- he doesn't appear to have anything in his hands.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Nothing.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No. Doesn't appear to be anything in his hand.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: This is unbelievable.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And this again happening just moments ago.
Adam, are you still with us?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm still with you. And again, this is just what I heard from police. I can't go on --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Right. Right. No, no.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We're watching the guy laying on the ground.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We're watching. Laying on the ground.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Legs crossed, some jogging pants, and the stripe up along the side, brown hair, white male, jacket, arms spread. And so, you know, it's like, if they are not going right -- after him right now in this video.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Then you think he's talking about that he's got a device strapped to his body or something.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes. It is very possible.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
TAPPER: That's footage from hours ago, but more to the point, the police pursuit into Watertown, Massachusetts, which has been going on all night, it was witnessed by an employee of CNN affiliate WCBB. The situation unfolded right in his neighborhood. Here's what he had to tell the station's anchors on the air.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We want to get back to Shane who works in our graphics department. And I -- Shane, I know you're going to only have a moment to us because they want to take the cell phones off, so talk to us quickly.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, I just witnessed -- there was a group of officers at the corner of Laurel and Dexter. They started heading down towards my house. They started taking their firearms out and pointing them down towards School Street looking, they were looking at the houses on my side, I'm number 23, so they were pointing them in the direction of my house and the house next to mine. And that's when I decided to hit the floor and I don't think it's worthwhile sticking my head out at this point.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No, I think we should let you go.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No. No.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And please go and take care of your family and be safe.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BERMAN: We want to review a dramatic press release from the Middlesex County district attorney that sums up really the activity that's been going on in this area, since about 10:00 last night. It's a very vivid description. It says this, "Police are investigating a fatal shooting at an MIT campus police officer by two men who then committed an armed carjacking in Cambridge. Middlesex Acting District Attorney Michael Pelgro and Cambridge Police Commissioner Robert Haas, and MIT Police Chief John DiFava announced this evening.
"At approximately 10:30 p.m. April 18th, Police received reports of shots fired on the MIT campus. At 10:30 an MIT campus police officer was found shot in his vehicle in the area of Vassar and Main Streets. According to authorities the officer was found evidencing multiple gunshot wounds. He was transported to Massachusetts General Hospital and pronounced deceased. Authorities launched an immediate investigation into the circumstances of the shooting. The investigation determined two males were involved in the shooting."
TAPPER: And just to pick up. A short time after that, police received reports of an armed carjacking by two males in the area of Third Street in Cambridge, that is right near Boston. The victim was carjacked at gunpoint by two males and was kept in the car with the suspects for approximately half an hour. The victim was released at a gas station on memorial drive in Cambridge. He was not injured. And if I can add an editorial point, he is incredibly lucky.
Police immediately began a search for the vehicle and went into pursuit of the vehicle into Watertown, that is community you say about eight miles outside of Boston, John? At that time, explosive devices were reportedly thrown from the car by the suspects. The suspects and police also exchanged gunfire in the area of Dexter and Laurel Streets during this pursuit.
An MBTA -- that's a transit authority police officer, was seriously injured and transported to the hospital.
BERMAN: And during the pursuit, one suspect was critically injured and transported at the hospital where he was pronounced deceased. One of the suspects deceased.
TAPPER: That's suspect number one with the black hat.
BERMAN: We'll get to that in a second. An extensive manhunt is on going in the Watertown area for the second suspect who is believed to be armed and dangerous. The case is being investigated by local, state and federal authorities. The Massachusetts State Police are also involved.
Now this press release was from Massachusetts -- the Middlesex County district attorney. Shortly after this release came out, there was a press conference from police in the Watertown and Boston area who told us that the suspect who was shot and killed during this chase, they have identified him. They believe him to be suspect number one in the Boston marathon bombings. He is dead. They believe suspect number two, the man in the white hat that you have seen in all the pictures overnight in the Boston marathon bombings, that man they believe to be currently on the loose.
The man on the left right there they believe to be on the loose in the Watertown area. They call him a terrorist. They say it is his goal to kill people. So be very, very careful in Watertown.
TAPPER: So two points of warning that we want to offer to people in the Boston area this evening. One, if you're in Watertown, as John just said, stay in your house. Do not answer the door unless it is a clearly identified police officer. Do not answer your door and do not leave your home unless it is a clearly identified police officer.
The second point we're just getting from MIT, that is the college campus where the police officer was shot earlier today -- last night, I should say, at around 10:20, setting off this entire manhunt. According to MIT, a -- a suspicious package has been reported in the area of 500 Memorial Drive. Stay away from the area of 500 Memorial Drive until further notice.
KAYYEM: And that's -- Jake, that is going to happen for the next 24 hours. No one knows why these two suspects stuck around. There is an important level of caution. You saw Ed Davis, our Boston Police commissioner, a very authoritative figure, come out and he -- you know, he was not messing around. There's a terrorist on the loose. They don't know what they've done in the last couple of hours and they want to protect the citizens of this city. And so that is what -- all of this, there's going to be a lot of false alarms tomorrow. There's going to be a lot of false alarms, we have to be sure for them, but we just want to ensure that they're all false.
(CROSSTALK)
BERMAN: It is already tomorrow.
KAYYEM: Yes, it is, sorry.
(LAUGHTER)
BERMAN: But what is remarkable about this is we're within 12 hours of when law enforcement officials first released those photos of the two suspects from the Boston Marathon bombings. Less than 12 hours ago they released those photos. It is now 4:40 a.m. in the East. One of the suspects is dead and another is involved in a manhunt right now with police trying to track him down.
We are joined now by Tom Fuentes, he's a CNN analyst and former assistant director with the FBI. He knows a lot about these situations.
And, Tom, you hear manhunt, you hear terrorist on the loose in Watertown, Massachusetts, what's the M.O. for law enforcement officials there right now?
FUENTES: Well, right now what they're trying to determine is if he's gone into somebody's house. He could be, you know, going into someone's home, seeing if they have weapons, hold them hostage, steal their car, so I think that's the concern right now would be that that's an additional factor of safety in the area.
Secondly, we don't know at this point if maybe he was running to his own residence and in that residence may have more explosive devices or more firearms or some other dangerous materials. So that's the concern right now. And they just don't want other else out on the street possibly being misidentified as this guy that could have a bad result. So right now that's the main concern is keep the public safe. The best way to keep them safe would be to be in their own home, but then check every home, make sure he hasn't gone into one of them.
TAPPER: And, Tom, one thing that's very interesting that happened earlier this evening is police found an individual, it turns out to be an individual who has been since set free, so apparently a completely -- innocent individual, but this individual was detained. He was made to strip naked and then he was detained by police.
Juliette Kayyem, "Boston Globe" columnist and a homeland -- former homeland security official, and I were talking about this. We concluded that the presumption is that the person might have explosives on him and that's why he was made to take off his clothes.
But one would assume that the police are presuming that this individual who is wanted, suspect number two, may, in fact, also be armed with explosives. Is that -- would that be your assumption as well?
FUENTES: Right, absolutely. If the two suspects were in that vehicle and throwing out of the vehicle explosive material, then that means that he may still have something with him, either a firearm, an explosive device or both. And if he lives in the area, he may be able to have gotten to that residence and obtained more. So that's a complete concern at this point.
KAYYEM: Can I just say -- it's sort of hard to put this in perspective right now just sort of how people who are watching can think about this in the context of counterterrorism and homeland security. The activities over the last 12 hours are really quite unique in terms of this crowd sourcing. It's something that all law enforcement has learned. It's the nature of the technology now because there's pictures everywhere.
And it's like fingerprints that everyone can now take a fingerprint. So that has been sort of a remarkable seashift. And I would say, and I'm trying to go through it in my head, being someone who knows this world, normally terrorists commit suicide or they flee. And so I -- people will probably e-mail me that there are hundreds of examples otherwise, but the big cases, it's either they are willing to die for a cause or they are getting the heck out of dodge. It's one or the other.
And those that stick around don't stick around this long. This has been four days. So this is just going to be interesting about why they stuck around. This is probably what's animating some of the activity here, what were they doing here, why were they still here? And it's just -- it's going to be like this for a couple of days. Lots of boxes, lots of suspicious packages. I'm hopeful that when the sun comes out it will be harder for the second suspect to hide.
BERMAN: Let me put that question to Tom Fuentes.
Tom, the shootout at MIT happened about a mile and a half away from the finish line of the Boston marathon where the bombings took place. These suspects, they seemed to stay very, very close to where this all happened. How unusual is that?
FUENTES: I think it is very unusual. And it does tell you that they are terrorists but they are not well trained terrorists. They didn't -- even from the videos at the scene, they stayed to observe their handiwork, which kind of reminds you of the psychology of an arsonist. A person sets a building on fire, the building is engulfed and then stands on the street corner and watches the fire department work, watches the flames happen. And that seems to be what they did immediately after the explosions at the marathon. So that's the different mindset.
They are not the same as trained terrorists who are going to martyr themselves in the act or run off and go somewhere that they can fight another day. They just seem to have been very proud of themselves, enjoyed the handiwork that they did. They got their glory and they're going to stick around and possibly were in the business of doing more.
We would like to find out later this morning what's the chronology of events that led to, you know, the killing of the police officer in the first place. It sounds like he may have been ambushed in his car and that they brought all the attention on themselves, or maybe he had encountered them already and they'd gone to his vehicle to use the radio and, you know, ambushed him in the vehicle, we don't know that yet.
So that's the problem here is what's the mindset. And so far the mindset has not been the suicidal martyrdom type mindset that you would see in most terrorist incidents, and Juliette is exactly right. It is very different than what you would normally see if that was the intention to be -- to be a martyr terrorist.
KAYYEM: Yes.
TAPPER: If you're just joining us, I want to catch you up to speed and also most importantly start off with this warning. If you live in the Cambridge area, MIT is warning individuals to stay away from the area of 500 Memorial Drive. There is a suspicious package at 500 Memorial Drive in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Stay away from that area. And perhaps even more compellingly, if you live in Watertown or the surrounding area of Watertown, Massachusetts, outside of Boston, Massachusetts, there is a manhunt underway for one of the suspects thought to have been responsible for the terrorist attacks of the Boston marathon on Monday.
It is suspect number two, the one with the white hat. Police are saying if you live in Watertown or the surrounding area, do not leave your home and do not answer the door unless it is an identified police officer.
BERMAN: This is a new photo that the authorities have released tonight of this suspect, suspect number two in the Boston marathon bombings. You just saw him briefly right there wearing a gray sweatshirt, a hoodie. That picture, we believe, was taken tonight. So if he hasn't changed, that is what you' can spot him on. If you do see him, do nothing except call authorities. Do not try to apprehend this man in any way, do not approach him.
KAYYEM: Right.
BERMAN: Call authorities because police, law enforcement officials are calling him a terrorist whose goal is to maim and kill.
TAPPER: And just one other point for those who are just tuning in, the other suspect, the one in the black hat, is dead. He has been killed in a shoot-out with police according to law enforcement authorities and in a press release and a press conference they gave not long ago. Suspect number one, the one with the black hat, was involved in this MIT shoot-out where there was a police officer killed, a carjacking that went on to Watertown. And in the shoot-out in Watertown, Massachusetts, suspect number one was killed. Suspect number two in the white hat still on the loose.
If you live in Watertown, do not leave your home, do not answer the door unless it is a clearly identified police officer.
BERMAN: And really, this week in Boston.
KAYYEM: Yes.
BERMAN: In the Boston area that began with the Boston marathon bombings that killed three people and wounded more than 100 has now claimed more victims overnight.
KAYYEM: Right.
BERMAN: An MIT police officer dead. An MBTA police officer, which if you don't know the initials out there is really the a transit police officer from the area, has been shot and wounded. So two more victims added to this incredible week that we have seen here.
KAYYEM: So and my -- what we do know is that the police officers know the names of who was responsible for the Boston marathon attack. We know that for sure, simply because they have one in custody who is dead. And so what -- while we're looking at the chase, what's also going on in law enforcement is a whole bunch of connections now being made.
Who were these guys? Why did they do it? Were they solo? You're seeing lots of things on Twitter in the way of about relations or who they might possibly be, people that have gone and disappeared from other states a couple of weeks ago. There's going to be lots and lots of information coming out.
The key point for a case, that's what matters, if you catch someone to have a successful case, is going to be, did they have ties to any other people? It doesn't matter if it is international or domestic, were they acting alone just the two of them, figured it out, by themselves or were there others who are involved?
And that's where -- you know, we're looking at the chase, but right now there are a whole bunch of people also doing that work to make sure that we -- that we end this case with the -- with the capture of the second suspect.
TAPPER: That's really what's so remarkable about this case is that even though one of the suspects is now dead and the other one is being sought by what I imagine would be hundreds if not thousands of police officers in the area.
KAYYEM: Close to 10,000.
TAPPER: Well, close to 10,000 police officers in the area of Watertown, Massachusetts. And again, I hate to repeat myself, but if you are just waking up and turning on the TV and you live in Watertown, do not leave your house, do not answer the door unless it is a clearly identified police officer.
But what's remarkable is we've come this far and still we do not know, the public does not know their names and we still -- the public at least -- have no idea what their motives were.
KAYYEM: Right. And that's --
TAPPER: None.
KAYYEM: And that's why --
TAPPER: Or even an idea if they're domestic or international. KAYYEM: Exactly. And did they have motives that were just two guys getting together to wreak a lot of havoc on the city or was there something more -- bigger, larger, something having to do international? Why are they keeping the names close-hold right now? For one, it's not necessary right now to get the names because all we care about is the chase. But also, these people have family members. OK, and there's a news conference.
BERMAN: So we want to play you again sound from the news conference that's happened just a short time ago, which really unveiled some of the details in this extraordinary night and tied this police chase, the shoot-out back to the Boston marathon bombings that happened on Monday. Let's listen in.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ALBEN: The most important message that we are doing right now is for public safety and the safety of those people in that neighborhood. We are asking everyone to shelter in place for the time being, not to leave their homes, if they see something suspicious other than a police officer coming to their door, they should call 911 immediately.
We also want to forewarn motorists that are traveling through this particular area, even though we're locked down in this neighborhood, that they should not stop for anyone and pick up anyone along the side of the roadway. What we are looking for right now is a suspect -- consistent with the description of suspect number two, the white-capped individual who was involved in Monday's bombing of the Boston marathon.
He was -- we have a picture, a video from the 7-Eleven in Cambridge last night that he is dressed in a gray hoodie-type sweatshirt. He's a light skinned or Caucasian male with longer brown, curly hair. You've seen the picture, you all have it. That's the individual that we're looking for at this moment.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That's suspect number two?
ALBEN: That's suspect number two. The white-capped individual.
UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: Suspect number one was shot then?
ALBEN: That's correct.
UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: So suspect number one was the one the FBI wanted?
ALBEN: I just want to be clear. We will do regular updates to this, but right now we are in a public safety mode here. Our immediate concern is for those people in the neighborhood up there. We have an active search going on by tactical teams to locate and apprehend this particular individual. He should be considered armed and dangerous and is a threat to anybody that might approach him.
So please use extreme caution and stay in your homes. If you hear something, if you see something unusual, we would like you to call 911.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
TAPPER: That was a police officer giving the latest on the investigation about two individuals suspected for committing the terrorist attacks in the Boston marathon. One of those individuals, the one with the black hat, suspect number one, has been killed in a shoot-out with police. Suspect number two still at large. He's the one with the white hat. There is a photograph of him earlier at a 7- Eleven earlier this evening which hopefully we can put on the screen. He's in a gray hoodie.
If you live in the Watertown, Massachusetts, area, you are told not to leave your home. Not to answer the door, unless there is a clearly identified police officer.
John Berman here with me this morning, does have a bit of good news for people in Cambridge.
BERMAN: That's right. Now MIT Police are saying right now that police have investigated a suspicious package in the area of 500 Memorial Drive. It presents no danger to the MIT community. That's an update on something we told you a little while ago. There was some concern about this package.
Let me tell you why there's so much concern about packages they're seeing on the roads right now in the Boston/Cambridge/Watertown area. Because during this police shoot-out and car chase that followed it right now, police are saying they believe that the suspects perhaps threw explosives at them through the windows.
Now it's just some of the information that police are sifting through right now.
TAPPER: Yes.
BERMAN: It may turn out not to be the case when all is said and done. But there is a great deal of concern right now about all these objects they're finding all over.
TAPPER: And clearly concern that the individual who remains at large, suspect number two in the white hat, clearly there is concern that he is wired with explosives. Because we saw an individual who the police later let go free. We saw the police force him to take off all his clothes. We saw him detained by the police and then he was later allowed to put his clothes back on and walk away. But that is how worried they are that these individuals are wired with explosives.
KAYYEM: So -- that is also another reason why people should stay indoors in Watertown and just be cautious, is you don't want to be mistaken by the police who are trying to get someone who did a horrible -- a couple of horrible things here, mistaken to the police as a -- as a suspect. They just -- they want to clear the streets, the sun is going to come out relatively soon, and then they will hopefully apprehend him. And I just want to go back to that point about why aren't they releasing the names even though the names are sort of being circulated on some websites. So there is a privacy issue related here that is important. These suspects, whoever they are, has family members who might be being told right now that their sons are responsible for a heinous crime. And so you want to make sure that they're protected and you want to make sure that they're notified.
And so while we may have all sorts of opinions about the two men who caused the bombing in Boston, they have family members, friends, roommates, whoever else who need to be notified that this is going on. So as I said, we're looking at the chase and there's a whole bunch of other stuff going on.
BERMAN: I want to circle back at a very interesting point that both you and Tom Fuentes made just a short while ago about where these men have been located. The fact that the shooter at MIT began really just less than two miles away from the finish line of the Boston marathon some four days after, the fact that these men clearly did not move very far from where they allegedly performed these terrorist acts, what does that tell you?
KAYYEM: It tells us -- it makes me a little bit nervous because a couple of things. It could either mean that they are just unsophisticated and as Tom said, which is a great point, they are like arsonists that they just wanted to see the whole city on edge and all of these suspicious packages. What you don't know is where they here because they're clearly armed and they clearly had explosives, are they clearly here also to maybe put a bomb somewhere, they put a suspicious package somewhere.
I don't want to make people nervous, but that is why you're going to have a lot of this reporting about suspicious packages, about people staying inside until we actually know why they were here. I am hoping that they were here because they were unsophisticated and they couldn't get out.
The Boston marathon day is very, very crowded. You know, there's a lot of traffic. You couldn't have parked a car nearby, so they had to walk, my guess is, or take the T. And so they just decided to stick around.
TAPPER: Well, you talk about -- Juliette Kayyem, a "Boston Globe" columnist and a former official with the Department of Homeland Security, you talked about one of the reasons why the names of the suspects have not yet been released and that's out of concern for the safety of the families to whom these two young men belong, in one case, belonged in another case with the suspect who has been killed.
There's another reason I suspect as well, and that is they want to make sure that these two were acting just them. They don't want to tip off, if there were any accomplices, if there were any other individuals involved, they don't want to tip those individuals off that they know who the two perpetrators -- suspected perpetrators were. So that they still have an idea and still an ability to get those other individuals, if there are any. And we have no reason to believe that there are any.
KAYYEM: This -- so is it possible, right, that it was just the two of them putting it together, very possible, very possible. Or did they have affiliates helping them out? Do they have affiliates in other states, and so you just have -- this is a massive investigation right now. And what were their backgrounds? Right? Were they students, were they waiters, were they actors? I mean we don't know sort of what their professional backgrounds were and what kind of ties do they have to this government or other governments.
I mean, there's a whole bunch of information that's going to come out about these guys, but the truth is we'll know their names soon enough. There will be lots of biographies about them and who they were, but right now there are different pieces in this investigation going on. And one of them is to insure, you know, honestly, the safety and security of the people around them which his --
TAPPER: Or the people in their community.
KAYYEM: And the people --
TAPPER: And that's an important point for us to reiterate is that no matter what, I mean, you can't blame conservatives for right- wing extremists. You can't blame liberals for left-wing extremists. You can't blame the Muslim community in America or the Arab community in America for extremists in their midst. I mean --
KAYYEM: And that's what I thought was so important about the FBI agent who's doing a fabulous job, the FBI agent who is the head here, you know, here's the picture. I'm not going to -- I'm not going to describe it. Right? Here is the picture. You can call it dark, light, whatever, and that's essentially it. They are just -- these are the culprits, that's it. We don't know that they represent anything bigger than these two.
BERMAN: This news developing all night and all morning now before our very eyes. We've just have been told there will be a news conference we think in about 20 minutes at the hospital where suspect number one was taken after he was shot. That is where he was killed. And I suppose this is a good time to bring everyone up to speed again if they are just waking up.
I'm seeing e-mails coming in, well, I'll tell you what, our coverage will continue on CNN in just a moment. We will bring you up to speed then on everything that's been going on all night. One suspect in the Boston marathon bombing dead. Another on the loose believed to be dangerous. We will give you the updates just ahead. Stay with us.
