Reports: Possible suspect, or suspects, in Boston bombings seen in videos

BOSTON -- No one has been arrested in connection with the Boston Marathon bombings, local police and federal authorities said Wednesday after a spate of media reports indicated that someone was in custody.

Two possible suspects in the bombings have been singled out in surveillance videos of the scene, sources told the Los Angeles Times on Wednesday.

(The Boston Globe, CBS News and others, also citing sources, said only one possible suspect was seen on a video near the scene.)



U.S. counter-terrorism and law enforcement officials told The Los Angeles Times that a department store video caught images of one man leaving a backpack near the finish line. A second federal official said he has been told that authorities believe a second video or photo showed "two men with two backpacks."

A counter-terrorism official said the men were picked out because they were carrying black backpacks, as well as because of their demeanor and how they reacted to the bomb blasts. That official said authorities do not yet know the identities of those in the videos.

Adding to the confusion Wednesday was that officials in Boston scheduled, rescheduled, and eventually canceled an FBI briefing intended to update the public.

According to The Boston Globe, the Globe’s source said a surveillance camera at Lord & Taylor, located directly across the street, had provided clear video of the area, though it was unclear whether the image of one possible suspect was taken from that camera.

“The camera from Lord & Taylor is the best source of video so far,” confirmed Dot Joyce, a spokeswoman for Boston Mayor Thomas M. Menino. “All I know is that they are making progress.”