Hunt for Marathon bombers

Police are seeking a suspect in the Boston bombings who is described as a 'dark-skinned or black male' carrying a backpack, while authorities are also reportedly questioning a potential suspect at an area hospital, according to reports. 

The suspect at large was spotted at the scene of the twin explosions at the Boston Marathon finish line on Monday and he wearing a black sweatshirt with a hood, according to authorities. Five minutes before the first explosion, officials said the person attempted to gain entry to a restricted area and was turned away. Authorities say he may be a foreign national, based on his accent.

Another potential suspect was also being questioned by police at an area hospital Monday afternoon. Several news outlets reported that he is a 20-year-old Saudi national in the country on a student visa. 

The person was among dozens injured - at least two fatally - by the blasts and he was being treated at Tufts Medical Center in Boston.

A civilian at the scene of the blasts  claimed the potential suspect was acting suspiciously. The civilian reportedly chased him down and tackled him after the explosions.

The man is said to be cooperating with investigators and denies any involvement. Police have not revealed where he is being treated, but several witnesses saw AFT agents with automatic weapons entering Brigham and Women's Hospital several hours after the blasts.

Texas Rep. Michael McCaul, chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee, told CNN that he been briefed in an intelligence meeting about the development.

Authorities were still denying around 8 p.m. Monday that they have any definitive suspects in custody. They said they were questioning several people Monday but had not yet labeled anyone a suspect. 

Pictures of a man in handcuffs surrounded by law enforcement officials circulated Twitter Monday, but authorities didn't identify the man or say whether his arrest was related to the blasts. 

Massachusetts General Hospital, where 22 victims of the bomb blast are being treated, was forced into lock-down for about two hours after a suspicious package was reported in the parking garage across the street

'At this time, we haven't been notified of any arrests or anyone apprehended,' a police spokesperson said.

Other reports suggested one line of inquiry was an individual caught on camera before the attack carrying multiple backpacks into the area 20 minutes before the deadly blasts.  

 

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It came as police were believed to be looking at whether bombs were planted in trashcans along the route. 

The two blasts Monday occurred almost concurrently near the finish line of the marathon.

Police initially said a third blast occurred at the John F.Kennedy Presidential Library but later reported it as an unrelated fire.

Cell phone service was shut down across the area to prevent any potential remote detonations as police feared there were secondary devices.

Police were in a desperate race against time to find any additional devices this afternoon and said the task had been complicated by the items discarded by spectators fleeing the scene. 

Multiple reports were flooding in in the moments after the attack saying there were devices reported outside Harvard and other sites along the marathon route. 

Massachusetts General Hospital, where 22 victims of the bomb blast are being treated, was forced into lock-down for about two hours after a suspicious package was reported in the parking garage across the street.

Bomb sniffing dogs from the Rhode Island State Police, SWAT officers from the Boston police department and bomb squad officers searched the entire parking structure, floor-by-floor. 

Authorities found one bag, but determined it was not a threat and contained nothing suspicious.

As the investigation continued into Monday night, all off-duty officers in the city were called back on duty and dog units were sent in to help the emergency response.

The scene of the blasts will remain cordoned off for at least 24 hours as forensic work continues.

Police were pleading with onlookers to head home over fears the dangers remained in the downtown area of the city.

NBC reported that the devices which caused the blasts were ‘small homemade bombs’ as the FBI referred it as a ‘terrorist attack’. 

Controlled explosions: Officers were said to be carrying out controlled explosions on three secondary devices

Police departments across the country including San Francisco and New York have been put on heightened alert.

In London security will now be assessed ahead of the marathon being held there on Sunday.

A no-fly zone was temporarily introduced over the city and has now been lifted.

Runners still on the course were being bussed out this afternoon as officers begun the hard task of trying to work out who would cause such an attack.

Early indications suggested the bombs were planted at the finish line rather than being suicide attacks. 

U.S. President Barack Obama was notified and directed his administration to provide whatever assistance was necessary, the White House said.

No groups have claimed credit for the attack and officials say no intelligence alerted them to a threat prior to the marathon.