UPDATE: Less than 24 hours after the release of CCTV footage of two suspects in the Boston Marathon bombings, officials have announced that one of the suspects is dead and the other is one the run.
The footage, taken by privately owned CCTV that looked down onto the pavement near the finish line of the marathon, captured images of two casually dressed men carrying rucksacks, one wearing a black baseball cap and the other wearing a white one.
It’s important to emphasise that the video that was released by the FBI, showing the suspects, was taken by fixed CCTV cameras, not mobile phones or handheld video cameras. It would appear that fixed CCTV cameras, recording continuously in a known location, provide a more reliable and accessible source of images than mobile devices.
That’s not to say that personal mobile devices can’t be a useful source of video and still images but in this case it would appear that CCTV provided the best “master shot” of the scene and timeline.
ORIGINAL STORY (19/4 10:00):
The FBI has released CCTV images of two suspects it wants to track down as part of the investigation into the Boston marathon bombings.
Multiple images and footage released show a pair of men the FBI wants to identify. Suspect 1 is wearing sunglasses and a black baseball cap and Suspect 2 wears a white baseball cap and a grey hooded top beneath a black coat.
Three people were killed and more than 170 injured in the two blasts near the finish line of the Boston marathon.
FBI Agent Richard DesLauriers told a news conference that the two men are “armed and extremely dangerous”. He said the FBI had concluded by studying footage that the two were associated with each other.
He added the suspect in the white cap was seen setting down a back pack at the site of the second explosion, just in front of the Forum restaurant.
In CCTV footage released, the two suspects appear to walk together through the marathon crowd in the direction of the finish line, moments before both bombs went off. Both are seen carrying bulky backpacks as they move a few paces apart along Boylston Street in central Boston.
Agent DesLauriers warned the public not to approach the two men in any circumstances but appealed for anyone to come forward with any information regarding the identities of the two men.
He said: “The quality of the photos is quite good, but we will continue to work on developing additional images to improve their identification.
“For more than 100 years, the FBI has relied on the public to be its eyes and ears. With the media’s help, in an instant, these images will be delivered directly into the hands of millions around the world. We know the public will play a critical role in identifying and locating them.
“Somebody out there knows these individuals as friends, neighbors, co-workers, or family members of the suspects. Though it may be difficult, the nation is counting on those with information to come forward.”
