Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) police officer Sean Collier, 26, was killed Thursday night in a shootout with the alleged Boston Marathon bombing suspects.
According to reports from The Associated Press, the incident began at approximately 10:20 p.m. Thursday, when police said the bombing suspects robbed a 7-Eleven store in Cambridge. Minutes later, police said, the men shot and killed Collier as he responded to the robbery call. The terror suspects then carjacked a Mercedes-Benz with the driver inside and fled, eventually letting driver go. They were then spotted in Watertown where they exchanged dozens of rounds of gunfire with patrol officers. One of the suspected bombers was killed in the shootout, and a transit officer was seriously wounded during the exchange of gunfire, officials said.
The Middlesex district attorney's office says Collier was a Somerville resident who had worked at MIT since January 2012. Before that, he was a civilian employee of the Somerville Police Department. MIT Police Chief John DiFava said Collier was a dedicated officer who was liked by his colleagues and the MIT community.
“MIT is heartbroken by the news,” A statement from the school reads. “Our thoughts are now with the family.”
