Area Residents Relieved After Arrest of Marathon Bombing Suspect

Harvard Square remained quiet Friday night as students and residents slowly took back to the streets following the conclusion of a manhunt for the second Marathon bombing suspect that left much of the greater Boston area effectively on lockdown.

Although members of the community did not congregate in the Square to celebrate the suspect’s capture, those walking outside expressed relief that he had been taken into custody, as well as sadness at the events of the last week.

“I’m just glad he got caught,” said Gwen Helou, who was visiting a friend in Cambridge and lives in Glendale Heights, Ill. Helou flew into Boston Friday morning and was unable to leave the airport until 5:30 or 6 p.m. because of the lockdown. “I’m glad it’s over,” she said.

Friday night’s capture culminated a week of violence in Boston that began Monday afternoon when two bombs detonated at the finish line of the Boston Marathon, killing three and injuring more than 170, and continued Thursday night with the fatal shooting of an MIT police officer and the chase of the two bombing suspects through Cambridge and Watertown.

“I think it’s just incredibly sad and a horrible end to a horrible week,” said John Andress, a Somerville resident.

Some residents acknowledged that even with the suspect in custody, the investigation is not over.

Tiffany M. Lopinsky ’16 said she was happy that the suspect was caught by law enforcement but added that she was still nervous because she was “not sure what else is out there.”

While the Square was quiet, residents in Boston and Watertown came together in spirited celebration late Friday night.

Jennifer P. Page, a Cambridge resident and the friend whom Helou was visiting on Friday, reflected on Cambridge’s return to business after the lockdown’s conclusion.

“It’s nice to see the city moving again,” Page said. “Because when else is Harvard Square not bustling?”

—Staff writer Madeline R. Conway can be reached at mconway@college.harvard.edu. Follow her on Twitter @MadelineRConway.