Federal, state and local authorities are searching the woods near the University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth campus as part of their investigation of the Boston Marathon bombing.

Christina DiIorio-Sterling, a spokeswoman for U.S. Attorney Carmen Ortiz, says the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives is taking the lead on the search. She could not say what they are looking for but says residents should know there is no threat to public safety.

Suspect Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, who is recovering in a prison hospital after being wounded in a shootout with police, was a student at UMass-Dartmouth.

Three of his classmates are accused of removing a laptop and backpack from his dormitory room before the FBI searched it.

ATF spokeswoman Debora Seifert says no search warrants have been executed and they are searching public areas.

(AP)