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IAMA resident of Watertown living in the cordoned off zone. AMA
UPDATE #8: Sounds like they have the guy cornered/have taken him out. Multiple helicopters in the air. All police on my street and neighboring streets are gone. people are outside with the cellphones set on police scanners congregating in groups.
UPDATE #7: Cops are back in the neighborhood. Don't want to give too many specifics but they more closely resemble an occupying military force at this point with what they've brought with them. Overheard one SWAT member saying that suspect 2 sustained a gunshot wound earlier today but who knows if that's cop to cop rumor.
I'm not doing this for Karma. I'm doing this for people who are curious about whats going on and might not be getting an answer on the news. I don't know how much I'll be able to answer but ask away.
Proof:
COMMON QUESTIONS:
Alot of people are asking about if police searching houses door to door. I have not personally been searched(though my backyard was). I can not comment on other parts of neighborhood but so far I have only seen cops enter a couple homes.
In terms of evacuations I nor any of my neighbors have received any orders to evacuate. I have a bug out bag ready in case they come knocking but I hopefully won't have to leave my apt.
In terms of police presense I don't want to comment on specific locations but suffice to say there is an assortment of cops in flack jacks and tactical gear on many of the streets. Also earlier a convoy of EMS and SWAT vans along with humvees were parked on the street for a while.
Update #5: Asked to remove any posts with information about cops movements. Still safe and sound. Will keep you all posted
Update #6: Things have quieted down alot in my immediate area. After all this is settled I'll post pictures/ video.
On a side not, people are accusing me of being a Karma Whore/ fucking Karma Pussy etc. Let me just address that real fast. While Karma doesn't have any 'real world' value I know people take offense when other redditors haven't 'earned' said Karma. I started this AMA mostly to keep friends who are redditor in and around Boston updated.(Cell phone service is spotty in my place). I wish any Karma I have gained from this thread would be earned, not the product of 'being in the right place, at the right time'. Idk if its possible, but if there is a way to reset my Karma to pre AMA levels then please let me know.
rabidkamikazi146 karma
NP just let me know if anything i post is questionable and Ill remove it
megaberry13545 karma
I'm picturing you hiding under your bed with your computer dragged under it, doing this AMA, randomly getting up and running around the house taking pictures, then running back under your bed. Confirm or deny?
was_trying319 karma
Do you have a plan in mind for what to do if craziness suddenly heads your way? i.e. bad guy and/or cops are suddenly in your home - what do you do??
shemp5150305 karma
Do you work outside of the cordoned off zone? If so, how's your employer taking the news?
edit Since I'm currently the top comment,I'm going to edit my post and say this: Please, don't ask OP anything about any tactical situations going on around him. We all want the guy caught, so let the cops try to be sneaky and find the bastard. as /u/moderatelygood posted below:
"FYI! Boston Police Department says: "WARNING: Do Not Compromise Officer Safety by Broadcasting Tactical Positions of Homes Being Searched." https://twitter.com/Boston_Police"
RangerDanger20233 karma
Do you have enough food/toiletries if this lasts longer than a day?
rabidkamikazi731 karma
Yeah I stopped by to buy grocerys on the way home from work yesterday so I'm fully stocked. My neighbors a a 75 year old partially disabled man though so if there's nothing crazy in the next couple hours I'm going to stop by and check on him.
rabidkamikazi384 karma
Just say him on the backporch. We both went outside to snap a few pictures of the helo.
bigeks226 karma
Heh...Watertown makes it to the front page. Another resident here...in full lockdown. Funny thing is that I was planning on taking the day off today and we slept in (it's school vacation week, too, so a day with the kids). Woke up to literally 10 voicemails, 20 missed calls, and about two dozen texts. Still hunkered down and away from the windows.
rabidkamikazi149 karma
Woke up to my brother calling me at 530 to tell me to turn on the news and that I probably wouldn;t make it to work today
AllegedlyMe208 karma
I heard that they think the suspect is still in the immediate area. Is that what they told you? Did you initially think it was connected to the Boston Marathon bombings?
rabidkamikazi525 karma
Before I went to bed last night I checked reddit and the MIT shooting was just breaking(like 15 minutes old) I remember thinking. "Maybe it's the Bombers but more likely probably a mugging gone bad or something"
Woke up sometime between 12:30-1:30(I was groggy so don't really remember) to what sounded like someone taking out their trash but being an absolutely loud ass douche about it. Lots of banging and rustling. Probably was the shoot out which is 3ish/4ish blocks away.
SoulCoughing97124 karma
What does being in the epicenter of a national disaster feel like? Are you trembling with fear? Chill about it?
rabidkamikazi312 karma
Alot of adrenaline. Esp when the cops were directly outside my house. Its both terrifying and exhilarating. Is this is even a modicum of the feelings that soldiers and war correspondents get when they are on the front lines then I can understand why it is addicting.
dougglatt120 karma
With the news of IED's and other explosives being dropped, etc. I hope you are remaining away from windows and doors and hopefully in the basement. Stay Safe!
rabidkamikazi245 karma
Well I heard rustling last night real early in the morning. Sounded like someone going through trash cans. Probably was the shootout a few blocks away but I called it in this morning when I woke up and realized what was going on. Cops came by and searched the backyard and trashcans around my house. Cleared them.
Barkingpanther261 karma
I live off of Mt Auburn and one of the first things I saw this morning when the sun came up: a can lady, picking through the recycling. some things don't change.
jumbomumbo15106 karma
Are you more scared or excited at the events that you are surrounded with?
rabidkamikazi263 karma
Both really. I've always wondered what it would be like to live in the zone of a mjaor news story. Now I know. It's both exhilarating and terrifying. Especially because of the bomb aspect. I've been running to my windows occasionally to take pictures and I keep thinking. Well what if a bomb denoted now and blew in this window. I'd be pretty fucked.
Lacey_102 karma
Have you ever seen the suspects in your neighborhood?
My son is in the Army and #1 rule if you're not armed and it gets real-----> get down and stay low.
rabidkamikazi138 karma
The shootout last night happened a few blocks over. It sounded like someone taking out a bag full of bottles and cans and just shaking the ever living shit out of it for about 5 minutes. i acutally thought it was a d-bag neighbor doing just that
xxmiss82xx101 karma
Do you have any idea why Boston would be a target for terrorism? Usually there is some significance to the targets and I can't fathom what it is in this case. I'm in the UK and know almost nothing about Boston.
rabidkamikazi213 karma
Well the Boston Marathon is the worlds oldest continuous marathon and we get thousands of runners and tens of thousands of specators who come ot watch the Marathon. It's also Patriots Day(commemoration of Revolutionary War) so most of Massachusetts has off from work. Lots of people take the day to come into Boston to watch the race and go shopping/ see the sites.
rabidkamikazi39 karma
Threw some scrap wood as a brace on the backdoor. the very remote chance my house becomes ground zero i hope to have enough warning to clear out
PapaBravo99 karma
Massachusetts is not a gun-friendly state. What were your views on self-defense before this? Has being in a known-dangerous situation changed your views, or reinforced them?
rabidkamikazi452 karma
I've always supported peoples right to defend themselves and own guns. I think peoples(by peoples i mean gun owners) obsession with owning military style assault rifles is a little bit too much, but hey, the constitution guarantees liberty, not safety.
I don't own a gun personally but I've always planned on getting one eventually
mpmckenn85 karma
did police give the people in the town any information, or did they just say to stay inside?
rabidkamikazi181 karma
Stay inside and don't answer the door unless whoever is knocking identifies themselves and shows ID
sumrndmredditor69 karma
Regards from Cali, hope this all blows over soon for you guys. Any real fear that the suspect could be right outside your door? The manhunt is still pretty huge from what I can gather and it looks like it isn't letting up yet.
rabidkamikazi65 karma
It seems like its been pretty fluid. Cops coming and going all over the place. It's a real possibility that they could be outside. I've had a few cops stop by and search the backyard
forgetthespeech50 karma
Has your house been searched? How close were you to any gunfire? There are a couple reports of 'controlled detonations' in that area, did you hear/feel any blasts?
rabidkamikazi87 karma
Cops came by and searched the backyard and around the house. I live on _______ so the shootout was about 4ish blocks away(on my morning running route) I've heard a couple muffled blasts so I assume they are the controlled detonations. I haven't heard anything recently but there are cops blocking off the top of my street and humvees driving around the neighborhood.
whosinthetrunk49 karma
Did you wake up to explosions and gun shots? What did you think was happening? Did this ruin your day or are you optimistic about it?
rabidkamikazi224 karma
I woke up early in the AM last night to what sounded like a d-bag neighbor making a ruckus taking out his trash. Of course looking back on it that could have been muffled gunfire and explosions for a few blocks over. Hasn't runined my day but Im hoping no one else dies, including the bomber. I want his ass dragged before a judge so he can go to prision and die a slow painful death by shanking, not a fast one from a cops bullet.
Frogslayer42 karma
I read you have no firearms, do you at least have a Louisville Slugger? Stay safe and thanks for the first hand account, its so hard to find verified truth in the media
rabidkamikazi102 karma
Got kitchen knife and a bat. I know how to throw knives but against a gun with guns and nothing to loose thats like attacking a charging elephant with a pointy stick
Whysoblunted38 karma
How is the police presence making you feel as a resident? Do you feel safer thanks to the number of people patrolling your area or are you closer to the " holy shit I need to get as far as possible as soon as possible" side of the spectrum ?
Do you think that this event will change the standards for city wide protection plans?
rabidkamikazi78 karma
Police are everywhere. Most have assault rifles. I feel pretty safe. As long as they have found any and all supposed IEDs I'm not worried
TheConfusedHippo30 karma
How are you passing the time? And also do you think the guy is still actually in Watertown, because it seems like they would've found him already.
rabidkamikazi70 karma
I'm running around my apt taking photographs from windows and staying down. House 2 doors down looks to be surrounded.
rabidkamikazi76 karma
No ones at home beside me. I woke up early to leave for work and had a bunch of phone calls from family telling me to turn on the news
heylarry224222 karma
How accurately do you feel the news stations are reporting this situation?
rabidkamikazi87 karma
Despite all the CNN hating they havn't been terrible. Mostly just saying the same shit over and over again. I think they are concerned that the guy is holed up in a house and watching the news so they don't want to give away too much
Philtheguy20 karma
Do you think the saturated media attention in the area is helping the suspect evade the authorities?
rabidkamikazi39 karma
Maybe? I can't imagine having much time to watch/dissect what they are saying on the new while running and hiding from the cops. i guess if they are listening to police scanners
rabidkamikazi39 karma
530 to my brother calling me to wake up turn on the news and sit tight.
charlemagnepants9 karma
First of all, hello and love from Canada. Please stay safe and thank you for doing this to feed our curiosity. My question is, if something were to happen that would cause you to alert the police (seeing something/someone, someone coming to your door and not showing identification), did they ask you to call a specific number or 911? I would imagine 911 has a LOT of calls to sift through.
rabidkamikazi17 karma
I acutally called 911 this morning because I thought some rustling I heard last night might be suspicious.(Probably the muffled sounds of the gun battle in retrospect) Two cops showed up and searched the backyard and trashcans.
dommobee8 karma
If you did suddenly see someone racing through your property/trying to break into your house, would you just dial 911 or did they setup some sort of special connection to the small army surrounding your neighborhood? I would think that by the time you called 911 and the officers responded, assuming dispatchers are slammed because of the recent events, it would be too late. If they even were able to answer at all.
Arm yourself, OP. You never know what can happen. Whether it be a knife or a can of mace, anythings better than nothing.
rabidkamikazi27 karma
assuming they tried to run in the back I'd run out the front and start yelling to the cops at the top of my street
mirrorball118 karma
Is cell phone service shut off in the area? How did the police let you know you were being cordoned? Did they run around with a megaphone and give you instructions?
rabidkamikazi10 karma
News was reporting the cordoned off areas. I can see the road blocks from my house so I kind of knew anyway. No instructions directly from the police. At least not yet.
Ruckol15 karma
What have you heard in regards to gunfire and the 'explosives' the suspects were using against the police earlier?
Barkingpanther4 karma
Which local channel do you find the least annoying right now?
...because I'm pretty damn sick of channel 4. They tried to interview the dead guys MMA coach for some reason. Hard hitting journalism.
rabidkamikazi8 karma
Yeah most are grasping at straws. I've been follwoing some of the reddit threads for updates.
dephzon3 karma
Do the cops so actually search every house? Is this legal? Also - what if they don't find the Bomber but maybe some weed or something?
rabidkamikazi10 karma
No one has searched my house and even if they did and ended up finding something i don't think they would care today
Rockdio1 karma
Have you been in contact with you family members and friends since this morning?
Stay safe man!
zthousand-3 karma
Wow, I've been following this on CNN. Scary stuff. Would you give us some proof, i.e. A street sign with a "Hi Reddit!" note? Or a picture of a bill with all information blocked out, except for a street and date, with a "Hi Reddit!" note. Thanks.
rabidkamikazi5 karma
Assuming the Horse Sized duck could still fly I'd rather fight the 30 duck sized horses.
karmanaut644 karma
Police have asked people not to post reports of police activity on social media. I would ask that you please remove your edits and not answer questions regarding what the police are currently doing, and I will happily reapprove your post.
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