Boston marathon blast suspect killed after shootout

One of the Boston bombing suspects is dead and the second is on the loose and said to be armed and dangerous after a dramatic shootout in the suburbs of the city.

Explosions and machine gun fire rocked the Watertown area hours after a police officer was shot dead on the MIT campus and a wild car chase tore through the city.

According to Daily Mail, Boston descended into chaos on Friday morning as police dramatically held a suspect at gunpoint after multiple shots and explosions were heard in the suburb of Watertown

The drama unfolded hours after the FBI released images of two men named as suspects in the deadly Boston marathon attacks and the Boston Globe has said the two men involved in this evenings shoot-out are those same men.

Police screamed at reporters on the scene to turn off phones 'if they want to live' as they hunted for the suspects - fearful that improvised explosives could be remotely detonated.

Dozens of police officers, FBI agents, national guard, K-9 units and SWAT teams rushed to Watertown after midnight after a reported car chase involving the two suspects in a black 2013 Mercedes.

According to eyewitness reports, two men believed to be in their early twenties engaged in a furious gun fight with dozens of police on a backstreet of Watertown.

Andrew Kitzenburg spoke to the New York Times about the view he had from his third floor window as he saw two men in jackets shooting at at least 10 police from behind a black Mercedes SUV.

The gun battle was being waged 70 yards apart and Mr. Kitzenburg said that the two men and police were engaged in 'constant gunfire'.

Suddenly a police SUV 'drove towards the shooters' and was fired upon until it was damaged and rolled to the side of the road, crashing into two cars in his driveway.

Dramatically, Mr. Kitzenburg said the two gunmen then threw a large bomb, 'They lit it, still in the middle of the gunfire, and threw it. But it went 20 yards at most.'

The unknown device did explode and at that point, one of the men ran towards the gathered police officers and was tackled - it is not clear from Mr. Kitzenburg if he was shot or not.

Then suddenly, the other man returned to his SUV and drove towards police officers and 'put pedal to the metal'.

The car 'went right through the cops, broke right through and continued west.'

Mr. Kitzenburg said that the two men had left backpacks by the car and that a police bomb robot was currently dealing with the devices.

Police have told all residents to remain in their homes.

The shoot-out came hours after the FBI released images of the Boston bombing suspects as they launched a hunt for two 'armed and extremely dangerous' men.

The images show them walking in single file toward the finishing line of the race around 13 minutes before the twin detonations.

Hours after the initial photos were made public, investigators released close-up shots this morning of the two suspects that more clearly show the men's faces.

Suspect Number One was wearing a black baseball hat, a dark hooded jacket and khaki pants.

Suspect Number Two was wearing a white basketball cap on backwards and a dark hooded sweatshirt.

Witnesses reported hearing explosions and gunfire as the police apparently engaged the two men and local television footage showed one man lying spread out on the ground, with his arms out, surrounded by police.

However, it is now thought thought that this man is not one of the suspects wanted by law enforcement.

Police officials would not discuss the incident with reporters.

When asked for information on the incident, Boston police spokeswoman Neva Coakley frantically told MailOnline, 'I don't know anything... I don't know anything at this point.'

An officer at the Waterdown police department responded similarly to questions about the incident, saying only, 'They are out in the street, that's all I know,' before hanging up the phone.

As the battle raged, police urged everyone to stay inside of their homes. The area is still considered extremely dangerous.

Massachusetts state police spokesman Frank Schifone told MailOnline that only one suspect is accounted for and he’s in the hospital.

Asked whether there is any tie between tonight’s incidents and the marathon bombings, he said, ‘At this time we don’t know. It’s all unfolding.’

Initial reports suggest that one suspect is in custody and a police officer has been injured.

Earlier - Cambridge police and the Middlesex District Attorney's office confirmed an officer was shot dead responding to a report of a disturbance when he was fired upon multiple times.

He later died at a hospital. His name was not immediately released.

State police spokesman Dave Procopio says the shooting took place about 10:30 p.m. outside an MIT building.

Procopio says authorities are searching for a suspect or suspects. No arrests have been made.

-Adapted from Daily Mail