Boston Marathon Finish Line Evacuated After Unattended Backpacks Found

The area around the Boston Marathon finish line was evacuated by the Boston Police Department on Tuesday night after two suspicious bags were left unattended.

[tweet https://twitter.com/bostonpolice/statuses/456214041724473345 align=’center’]

Police, fire, and bomb squad crews investigated the backpacks that shut down Boylston Street between Fairfield and Dartmouth streets on the one-year anniversary of the Boston Marathon tragedy.

At 8:53 p.m., police reportedly detonated the bags after shouting “Fire in the hole!”

Boston.com reported it likely was only a precautionary measure, as there was no evidence the bags contained any explosives.

BPD confirmed an adult male suspect was in custody in connection with the backpacks. They provided no further details, but witnesses told New England Cable News that they saw a man dressed in all black with a veil covering his face being put in the back of a police car.

[tweet https://twitter.com/bostonpolice/status/456224670359252992 align=’center’]

[tweet https://twitter.com/NECN/statuses/456229866015170561 align=’center’]

Update: WBZ-TV’s Peter Wilson reported the suspect has been identified and that the rice cooker found in the backpack was full of confetti.

[tweet https://twitter.com/PetesWire/statuses/456253833434648576 align=’center’]

[tweet https://twitter.com/PetesWire/statuses/456254132173946880 align=’center’]

Thumbnail photo via Twitter/@cbsboston