WATERTOWN, Mass. (AP) — Celebrations erupted in suburban Boston, downtown and beyond Friday night as the capture of the remaining marathon bombing suspect was announced in a tweet from police.
In the Watertown neighborhood where 19-year-old Dzhokhar Tsarnaev engaged in a firefight with police while hiding out in a parked boat, dozens of people at a police barricade cheered and applauded as law enforcement officers and emergency responders left the scene.
“Never in my wildest dreams did I think that this would result in a shootout in Watertown,” said Sheamus McGovern, of Belmont, Mass., who was among the crowd of people gathered outside Mount Auburn Hospital, where Tsarnaev was taken after his capture. [ed-Tsarnaev was taken to another hospital].
Early Friday morning, 26-year-old Tamerlan Tsarnaev was killed in a gun battle and car chase during which he and his younger brother hurled explosives at police from a stolen car, authorities said.
During the getaway attempt, the brothers killed an MIT policeman and severely wounded another officer, authorities said. The younger brother managed to escape and was found in the boat about a mile away hours later.
McGovern had been startled overnight Friday during a when he heard “what sounded like firecrackers, last night after one, and then pure bedlam.” He could hear the helicopters overhead all day.
“It’s just a huge relief to be able to get outdoors. Another day of that, I don’t want to start getting angry,”
The jubilation was widespread. The mayor of Boston, which was largely paralyzed during the manhunt Friday, tweeted, “We got him!” And at the home of the New York Mets, fans leapt to their feet and cheered when the news spread during a game against the Washington Nationals.
Hundreds of people marched down Commonwealth Avenue, chanting “USA” and singing the Red Sox anthem “Sweet Caroline” as they headed toward Boston Common. Police blocked traffic along part of the street to allow for the impromptu parade.