Boston Marathon Bombing

The Basics:  Two bombs exploded, killing three people, near the finish line of the 238th Annual Boston Marathon at 2:50 Monday, April 15. The bombs are believed to be homemade from pressure cookers, explosives, nails, ball bearings and metal shards. They were placed inside black nylon bags.

According to the Boston Public Health Commission the total confirmed injuries needing medical treatment has risen to 264. Of the injured, 180 were immediately taken to hospitals to receive care and were deemed “critically injured”.
After the alleged bombers were arrested, the FBI held an informal ceremony giving the crime scene back to Boston.
The Victims: The Boston Marathon bombing killed three people. Martin Richard, aged 8, Krystle Campbell, aged 29, Lu Lingzi, aged 23 died as a result of the blast on April 15. Funerals for all the victims have already taken place.
The Richard family suffered a significant blow when the bombs exploded. Not only did Martin die, but his sister, aged 6, lost her leg and his mother suffered serious head injuries. The Martin family is in good hands though. They are being supported by the community, which has raised over 200,000 dollars to support the family in their recovery.
Krystle Campbell was attending the marathon, as she does every year, when the bombs ended her life. Some groups threatened to disturb Campbell’s funeral by picketing the church. They chased off one man who held up a sign, said Mike Lynch, according to Fox News. However, the motorcycle group and union workers who came to protect the funeral faced no picket and the funeral was undisturbed.
Lu Lingzi was a Chinese national studying at Boston University. Lingzi’s friend, Zhou Danling, was originally thought to be the third victim of the blast, and Lingzi was reported missing before her friends and family were told she had died. Lingzi came to Boston to get a better education in statistics; however, her education was cut short by this anomalous event.
The suspects also took a fourth victim; MIT Police Officer Sean Collier was fatally shot three days after the bombing. Collier’s funeral took place at MIT. ”Officer Collier didn’t just have a job at MIT. He had a life at MIT,” said MIT President L. Rafael Reif, according to USA Today.
Jonny Gomes, Red Sox outfielder, honored all four victims by carving their names and the words “Boston Strong” into one of his bats. Boston has been truly strong — supporting the victims of the bombing, both those who passed and those who were injured.
The Suspects: On April 18, after days of intense investigation, the FBI released information about their two prime suspects: Tamerlan Tsarnaev and Dzhokhar Tsarnaev. The brothers were from Russia but had been living in the United States for a decade.
The streets of Boston stood in deafening silence as the police and FBI searched for the brothers. Tamerlan was eventually taken down in a police standoff and died in the hospital. On April 19th Dzhokhar was taken into custody by the police and hospitalized in critical condition for two days. Dzhokhar is now in fair condition but remains in the hospital.
Dzhokhar made a court appearance from his hospital room on April 22 and was charged with “using a weapon of mass destruction against persons and property at the Boston Marathon on April 15, 2013, resulting in the death of three people and injuries to more than 200 people,” according to the FBI.
“Although our investigation is ongoing, [Monday’s] charges bring a successful end to a tragic week for the city of Boston and for our country,” said Attorney General Eric Holder, according to the FBI, “Our thoughts and prayers remain with each of the bombing victims and brave law enforcement professionals who lost their lives or suffered serious injuries as a result of this week’s senseless violence.”
The family of the Tsarnaev brothers refuses to believe they are guilty of their alleged crimes.
“I’m planning to find the truth, justice,” said Anzor Tsarnaev, the suspect’s father, according to NBC news; “I want facts, proof that this is all original because otherwise, anything could be set up.”
“What happened was a terrible thing,” said Zubeidat Tsarnaeva, the suspect’s mother, according to NBC news, “But I know that my kids have nothing to do with this. I know it. I am mother. I know my kids.”