23-04-2025
‘Suspicious device' reported on Marathon Monday was fireworks, posed no danger
A caller reporting a 'suspicious device' in Hopkinton drew police to the suburban community where the Boston Marathon starts, as the race wrapped up Monday afternoon, police said Wednesday.
Runners and spectators had long since departed the start line in Hopkinton Center when local police received the call around 2 p.m., reporting the suspicious item on wooded private property more than a mile from the race course.
Upon examination, police determined the device was a plastic bottle containing live and some detonated fireworks, Hopkinton police and fire officials said.
There was no evidence that the item was intended to harm the public, Hopkinton Police Chief Joseph Bennett said.
'Although it was reported the same day as the Boston Marathon, we found nothing to suggest it was related to the event,' he said. 'Thank you to the conscientious residents who reported finding this object in the woods. That was the right call to make.'
The bottle was first spotted over the weekend, days before the marathon, but was not reported to police until Monday.
Both local police and members of the Massachusetts State Police responded to the call.
State Police bomb technicians examined the bottle, provided 'X-ray diagnostics' on its contents, and found it contained 'consumer grade fireworks,' which are illegal in Massachusetts but often brought across state lines, authorities said.
Investigators are still determining the object's origins.
'Any unexploded firework or suspicious object found after a firework display should be considered live and dangerous,' Hopkinton Fire Chief Gary Daugherty said. 'Do not touch. Notify the fire department or police department immediately, by calling 911, for proper handling and disposal.'
Both he and Bennett asked parents to ensure their children know fireworks are illegal in Massachusetts and dangerous.
'Every year in Massachusetts, illegal fireworks cause serious injuries and property damage,' Bennett said. 'If you know anything about this object, call.'
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