Eliza Dushku feared for family during horrific Boston shootout
Eliza Dushku was left frantic as she watched TV coverage of a bloody gun battle in her hometown when cops reportedly chased down suspects linked to the Boston Marathon bombing.
The Buffy the Vampire Slayer star grew up in Watertown, a small town within the Greater Boston Area of Massachusetts, and she was horrified to see her hometown hit headlines in the early hours of Friday morning (19Apr13).
Residents were warned to stay inside and to remain vigilant
following the drama, during which a man suspected of involvement in
the bombing of the race on Monday (15Apr13) was shot dead, while
another suspect reportedly escaped.
Dushku, who still has family in Watertown, watched the horrific
scenes unfolding on a news bulletin, and revealed she feared for
the safety of her loved ones.
In a series of posts on Twitter.com, she writes, "It doesn't get
closer to home than this. Watertown... Hometown God, please,
everyone be safe... Watertown PD (police department) we are all
sending you prayers... Born + raised in Watertown. My beautiful fam
(family) is there, 20 search blocks/CNN in exact neighborhood I
grew up in, Ma's house - can't believe this."
Dushku was eventually able to contact her relatives and assured
fans her family was safe, adding, "Finally reached my Ma + Jim +
they are fine + now staying indoors + turning on news... Love to
all... Watertown."
Exact details of the incident remained sketchy as WENN went to
press, but the police operation is believed to have been sparked
when a cop investigating a disturbance at the Massachusetts
Institute Of Technology (MIT) campus in Cambridge on Thursday night
(18Apr13) was reportedly gunned down. The officer later died in
hospital.
The bloody scenes sparked a frenzy on social networking websites
and a number of stars expressed their horror and disbelief as the
drama unfolded on TV.
Aerosmith rocker Joe Perry, who hails from Lawrence, Massachusetts,
wrote in a post on Twitter.com, "Watching TV... can't believe
what's happening in Watertown. Hang in there Boston our thoughts
are with you".
Sean Astin, Gavin DeGraw, Jenna Ushkowitz, Amber Riley, Chad Lowe
and Jack Osbourne were also among the famous names sending
sympathies to the community.
The shootout comes just days after two bombs ripped through crowds
during the Boston Marathon on Monday (15Apr13), killing three
people and injuring 170 more.