The Slatest

FBI Releases Photos and Video of Two Suspects in Boston Bombing

BOSTON—Before the FBI’s press briefing this afternoon, everyone was told to clear the room while a dog sniffed the premises for bombs. Once we were all back inside, FBI Special Agent Richard DesLauriers unveiled two posters containing photographs of two young-looking males labeled “Suspect 1” and “Suspect 2,” and noted that the two men were currently the main focus of the investigation into the bombing. DesLauriers said the investigation initially was focused on one man, the dark-hatted Suspect 1, thought to have placed the first bomb, but eventually grew to include the second man, the dark-hatted Suspect 2. “Suspect 2 set down a backpack at the site of the second explosion, just outside of the Forum restaurant,” said DesLauriers, encouraging anyone who was at the restaurant to call the FBI. (Anyone who has any information should dial 1-800-CALL-FBI.)

The Boston Globe and the New York Times first reported last night that the FBI had video footage of two potential suspects, but it took almost 24 hours for the FBI to release this footage to the public. During that time, speculation about other possible suspects ran rampant on the Web and in various media outlets. Someone from Inside Edition asked DesLauriers specifically if this guesswork about the bombers’ identities was harming the investigation. The FBI special agent responded by reiterating that citizens looking to help with the investigation should focus on these latest photographs alone. “Other photos should not be deemed credible, and create undue work for law enforcement resources,” he said, a polite way of telling people on the Internet and at the New York Post to cool it.

DesLauriers was joined on stage by U.S. Attorney Carmen Ortiz, Boston Police Commissioner Ed Davis, and several other officials. He took a handful of questions from the media, including one question from an aggressive reporter from Infowars.com, who yelled something about “false flag” operations, and continued yelling for approximately 10 minutes after the press conference concluded. While many members of the media surrounded this Infowars fellow, jockeying for interviews, another journalist was not amused. “Shut up so we can write, asshole,” he said.

Here are the photos and the video footage released by the agency:

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This post has been updated with additional information.