BOSTON — Police in Boston apprehended one of the men suspected of having planted the bombs that exploded earlier this week at the Boston Marathon, killing three people and injuring 170. The arrest followed a massive manhunt in which nearly a million people in Boston and neighboring towns were placed under lockdown.
The capture of Dzhokhar Tsarnaev prompted celebrations after police were given the stand down order. Mayor Thomas Menino announced the arrest.
“Today, because of the hard work of so many individuals, by Boston police, working together with the state police we have a conclusion that we're all satisfied with," said Menino.
It was a happy finish to what had been a long and tense day for the city of Boston and its suburbs. Throughout the day the streets had been eerily deserted in the financial heart of this historic city.
A lockdown and mass transit shutdown left stranded travelers frightened and forlorn.
It was here, in the suburb of Watertown the night before, that the suspects in the Marathon attack hurled explosives at police during a firefight that killed one officer and Tamerlan Tsarnaev, suspects older brother.
A once ordinary suburban shopping center became a staging ground in the hunt for the younger brother, and a stake out for the global and local media covering the drama.
A shelter-in-place order forced businesses to close, and some of the world's most prestigious universities to shut their gates.
And the suburbs, where people live the American dream, became ghost towns - the broad streets desolate save for the occasional intrepid resident.
“It is shocking, and there is that part of you that doesn't want to think that it could happen here. But it has, and we are strong,” said resident Diane Wilde.
Bostonians said they were determined to keep living normal lives in spite of the terror attack. That was no simple feat, however, under a state of siege.
