Watch CBS News

Officer Sean Collier Memorial Unveiled At MIT

CAMBRIDGE (CBS/AP) — There is now a temporary memorial to slain Massachusetts Institute of Technology police Officer Sean Collier on campus.

WBZ NewsRadio 1030's Ben Parker reports

Collier MIT Memorial

The granite tribute, made from a piece of the Great Dome at MIT, was unveiled Friday in a ceremony at the corner of Main and Vassar streets, just steps from where Collier was killed.  About 200 people attended.

The stone was kept after a recent remodeling of the dome.  It has Collier's badge number and MIT police shield etched in the center of it.  The memorial is also surrounded by American flags, flowers and a cross.

A permanent memorial will be installed at a later date.

Collier, 27, was killed on campus April 18 during the search for the Boston Marathon bombing suspects.

Investigators say the two men shot Collier to get his gun as they tried to make their escape.

Friday's ceremony comes six months to the day Collier was killed. A candlelight vigil is scheduled for 10:20 p.m., the exact time he was murdered.

Collier was a Wilmington native and Somerville resident who had earned his law enforcement degree from Salem State University. He had accepted a job as a Somerville police officer before his death.

MIT Police Chief John DiFava said time tends to make people forget about tragedies such as Collier's death, but "support for Sean seems to grow every day."

(TM and © Copyright 2013 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2013 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

MORE LOCAL NEWS FROM CBS BOSTON

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.