'Active Shooter' at Copley Marriott Part of Police Terrorism Drill

The swat team, police cruisers and other officers have swarmed Copley Square. But no need to panic.

Officials targeted The Boston Copley Marriott Place as the site of an active shooter for  Urban Shield: Boston, a large-scale training exercise designed to simulate a major terrorist attack.

Boston officials were advising people not to worry yesterday.  If you hear explosions or gunfire in the area, there's no need to call the police–they're probably already there. The drill includes 12 multi-layered scenarios across the region, thanks to $1 million in grant funding through the Department of Homeland Security.

At Chestnut Hill, Brookline Police and other first responders will try to handle some kind of explosive device while in Cambridge, responders will handle a simulated hazardous materials exposure. For a list of all scenarios in the region click here.

“The upcoming 10th anniversary of the most tragic terrorist event in our nation’s history reminds us that the threat against us is never fully gone,” Mayor Thomas Menino said. 

Boston Chief of Police Daniel Linskey also joked that, if the rapture happens today, they'll be prepared for it.