Crime & Safety

Slain MIT Officer Identified

Sean Collier, 26, was killed on Thursday night in a shooting at MIT, allegedly by the suspects in Monday's Boston Marathon bombings.


The Massachusetts Institute of Technology police officer shot and killed Thursday night has been identified as Sean Collier of Somerville, a 26-year-old who has strong Wilmington ties.

According to the Middlesex District Attorney’s office, Collier worked for MIT Police since January 2012 and was previously a civilian employee for the Somerville Police Department.

Police said that at 10:20 p.m. on Thursday night, they received a report of shots fired on the MIT campus in Cambridge. About 10 minutes later, Collier was found shot in his vehicle near Vassar and Main Street.

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The shooting began a string of events that led to one of the alleged Boston Marathon bombers being killed in a shootout with police. An MBTA transit officer was also shot and injured and police remained in search of the second suspect as of Friday morning.

MIT Police Chief John DiFava said that Collier was a “dedicated officer who was extremely well-liked by his colleagues and the MIT community,” according to a press release from the District Attorney’s office.

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Lou Cimaglia, a Wilmington Board of Selectman member and the town’s Veteran’s Agent, said officials and residents are grieving the loss of Collier, who was a graduate of the Wilmington High School Class of 2004 according to several school officials.

“We offer condolences to the family and send out our prayers,” said Cimaglia. “This is another example of the military and police who are willing to put their lives on the line to save us. These guys are on the front line trying to protect us.”

Cimaglia said it is his understanding that Collier’s family still lives in Wilmington and said he expects the community to rally around them.

“It really hits home now, and shows that this can happen anywhere. This reign of terror has reached out and touched Wilmington,” said Cimaglia. “Wilmington, as we always do, will step up and mourn with the family and help them through these trying time. Wilmington is a unique community and we rally around our own.”

In a prepared statement, Salem State University officials confirmed that Collier graduated from the school with honors with a criminal justice degree in 2009.

“We are deeply saddened to learn that Sean Collier, a member of Salem State’s class of 2009, was killed last night in the line of duty,” the statement said. “Our thoughts and sympathy go out to Sean’s family as well as all those affected by the recent tragic events in Boston.”

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