UPDATE 12:57 p.m. ET — Former FBI agent Clint Van Zandt tells MSNBC that the decision by police to hold controlled demolitions in Cambridge could indicate a space might be booby-trapped or it could just be precautionary. It could also be done so officers can gain access to other areas.
UPDATE 12:47 p.m. ET — NBC News reports additional details about the carjacking and shootout ended with the death of one of the suspected bombers. They reportedly told the driver of the Mercedes SUV they were behind the marathon bombings, then tried to use his cash card to withdraw money from three ATMs. The suspects ultimately released the driver unharmed at a Cambridge gas station:
As they sped toward Watertown, a police chase ensued and the suspects tossed explosive devices out the window, officials said.
There was a long exchange of gunfire, according to Andrew Kitzenberg of Watertown, who took photos of the clash from his window and spread them on social media.
“They were also utilizing bombs, which sounded and looked like grenades, while engaging in the gunfight,” he told NBC News in an interview. “They also had what looked like a pressure-cooker bomb.
“I saw them light this bomb. They threw it towards the officers,” he said. “There was smoke that covered our entire street.” [...]
Kitzenberg said he saw the firefight end when Tamerlan Tsarnaev ran toward the officers and ultimately fell to the ground…[he] had an improvised explosive device strapped to his chest, law enforcement officials said.
Dzhokhar…drove the SUV through a line of police officers at the end of the street, Kitzenberg said.
This sounds like a script page from “Boondock Saints”...