Confusion over the possible arrest of a suspect in the Boston Marathon bombing left federal officials scrambling to continue their investigation and contain conflicting media reports on Wednesday.

The Associated Press, Boston Globe, and CNN initially reported a suspect had been taken into custody. CNN backed off its report after the FBI, U.S. Attorney's Office and Boston Police Department denied those reports. However, the network quoted an unnamed Boston PD source as saying, "We got him."

The Associated Press and Boston Globe stood by their stories, even as the agencies released official denials. The Associated Press even reported its source had re-confirmed the arrest.

The Boston PD via its Twitter feed said there has been no arrest as of about 3 p.m. East Coast time. Moments earlier, the FBI's Boston field office released a statement criticizing "inaccurate" media reports.

"Since these stories often have unintended consequences, we ask the media, particularly at this early stage of the investigation, to exercise caution and attempt to verify information through appropriate official channels before reporting," according to the statement.

The FBI had scheduled a briefing for 5 p.m., which was later postponed. Reporters had swarmed to Boston's federal courthouse after media reports that the U.S. Marshals Service was bringing the arrested suspect there. A bomb threat was called in to the courthouse, which was cleared, reports Boston.com.

Authorities told the media outlets that they have clear surveillance video taken at a Lord & Taylor store near the bombing site. Investigators have footage showing a suspect carrying and dropping a black bag near the Boston Marathon finish line.