A long, tense week is over for residents of Boston, Massachusetts, and its suburbs, after U.S. law enforcement authorities cornered and captured the second of two suspected Boston Marathon bombers late Friday.
The capture of 19-year-old Dzhokhar Tsarnaev followed an unprecedented lockdown of much of the Boston area Thursday and Friday as authorities searched for the missing suspect. His 26-year-old brother Tamerlan was killed during a shootout with police on Thursday.
Police cornered the younger Tsarnaev hiding inside a boat in the backyard of a house in Watertown Friday. He was taken into custody after exchanging fire with police. He had been critically wounded in Thursday's clash with police that left his brother dead before Dzhokhar fled on foot.
Capture of the second suspect sparked celebrations in the Boston suburb of Watertown where he was captured. Onlookers cheered police and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) as they drove out of Watertown.
Residents were pouring out of their houses to celebrate the end of their days-long ordeal. Law enforcement officials were celebrating as well.
Citizens also rejoiced in downtown Boston where three people died in twin bombings during the world-famous Boston Marathon Monday. More than 170 people were injured, many seriously, in the attack.
U.S. President Barack Obama said in his weekly address Saturday that the successful outcome of the manhunt shows that "Americans refuse to be terrorized."
Late Friday, Obama said the nation is in debt to people of Boston and Massachusetts and to those he called outstanding law enforcement professionals. But he said more remains to be seen about how and why the bombings took place.
"Obviously tonight there are still many unanswered questions," he said. "Among them, why did young men who grew up and studied here, as part of our communities and our country, resort to such violence. How did they plan and carry out these attacks, and did they receive any help? The families of those killed so senselessly deserve answers."
Republican Senator Tim Scott said in the Republicans' weekly address that the attacks have only strengthened the resolve of the nation.
The suspects were identified late Thursday, just hours after the FBI released pictures of them in hopes that someone would recognize them.
Tamerlan was killed Thursday after he and his brother allegedly killed a security officer from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. They also allegedly stole a car and threw grenades and other explosives at officers during a police chase.
The Tsarnaev brothers are ethnic Chechens who came to the Boston area as boys. Family members and friends say they cannot believe the two could have carried out such a dreadful crime. But an uncle who lives in suburban Washington called them losers who brought shame on all Chechens.