Boston bombs send shockwaves

By Jon Stroshine and Kari Travis | Echo

The explosions of two bombs at Monday's Boston Marathon killed three and injured more than 150 more, sending shockwaves across the nation as Americans grieved for lost loved ones and investigators searched for answers.

Monday's bombing occurred just before 3 p.m. at the annual marathon in Boston. The race occurs on Patriot's Day, the third Monday in April and a holiday in Massachusetts.

An investigation into the cause began immediately after and is currently ongoing. The FBI released images Thursday evening of two men suspected of committing the crime, asking for public assistance in finding the duo.

Locally, organizers of the May 4 Indianapolis Mini-Marathon have been working to reassure runners of their safety in a similar race while hearing from many who want to remember the victims of the Boston Marathon attacks.

"The running community is very tight, and they just want to represent those runners," said Megan Bulla, Communications Manager for the 500 Festival, which organizes Indianapolis Mini-Marathon. "I think a lot of them are running in memory of what happened."

Bulla said security could be increased for the race but that there are no plans to change the route of the largest half-marathon in the nation.

The tragedy touched the Taylor alumni community in the Boston area as well.

Julia Clemens ('07) works at the Boston Children's Hospital and was called into the emergency department (ED) to deal with child victims who arrived with injuries from the blasts.

"My role as a child life specialist is to provide normalizing activities, positive coping strategies and play in the hospital setting," Clemens said via email. "I was able to continue to do that role-with kids affected by the explosion directly and those who found themselves in the ED for other reasons who were now surrounded by it."

Kia Kenney ('96) was visiting a friend in a hospital outside of Boston when she heard news of the detonations. She was on her way back into the city to check on some friends when she got the news that they were not in good condition.

Her friends Adrianne and Adam Davis are both in the hospital, having sustained injuries from the blast while watching the race. Adrianne had her lower left leg amputated and Adam sustained heavy shrapnel injury but was released from the hospital yesterday and faces no amputations.

"The people that run the Boston Marathon work sometimes their whole lives to be able to do this race," Kenney said. "Even for them not to be able to finish it, not to be able to have it be the celebratory day it's supposed to be is just wildly disappointing."

Kenney lives on the block where the explosions occurred. She was blocked from returning to her house by authorities the night of the bombings and stayed at a friend's house.

She said the normal noise and excitement for this time of year have been replaced by a somber silence, with police and government vehicles becoming a common sight.

Adrianne Davis told Kenney she wants to run the marathon next year with the other victims.

Lynn Fielitz, 53, ran the Boston Marathon for the second time Monday. He ran past the site of the explosions just minutes before the bombs detonated.

He was standing beyond the finish line and facing away from the blasts when they occurred. He turned around and saw the smoke and was soon ushered away from the area.

"Those little decisions that I made all along the racetrack could have changed (my) life," Fielitz said of escaping harm. "It's just horrible that someone would do something like that, and how many lives are changed because (of) that."

The Boston attacks served as yet another reminder that America's homeland is not safe, according to Tony Manganello, former Secret Service agent and current Director of the Taylor Fund.

"Things like this just demonstrate how vulnerable we are," Manganello said. "We live in an open society and in general places like schools, movie theaters and sporting events where large groups of people are gathered, generally under minimal security, it's almost impossible to stop attacks against soft targets like that if somebody has the intent to do it."

Law enforcement will continue to raise security measures for the short term due to newly realized national threats, Manganello said.

Among the highest security priorities are sporting events, particularly those with a far-reaching impact. Manganello cited the upcoming London Marathon as an example of strengthened security measures.

Due to the bombing's apparent lack of strategic placement and timing, the event may be an isolated incident, Manganello said. However, he believes authorities should not rule out other possibilities until all evidence and factors have been examined.

According to a whitehouse.gov blog, President Obama said Monday that "...people shouldn't jump to conclusions before we have all the facts. But make no mistake-we will get to the bottom of this. And we will find out who did this; we'll find out why they did this. Any responsible individuals, any responsible groups will feel the full weight of justice."

Martin Richard, 8, of Boston died in the blasts, as did Krystle Campbell of Arlington, Mass. The third victim was Lu Lingzi, a Boston University graduate student. Seventeen of the injured remain in critical condition.

A fire broke which broke out at the nearby John F. Kennedy Library around the same time is also being investigated. It is unclear what started the fire and whether it has any connection to the tragedy at the marathon.

The search for the perpetrators of Monday's Boston Marathon bombings has taken a new turn, as officials believe one suspect is dead, with another still on the loose.

A confrontation last night in Watertown, Mass. between police and the two suspects ended with the death of one of the suspects as well as a Massachussetts Institute of Technology officer, according to police. The other suspect is considered armed and dangerous, according to officials.

The suspects have been identified as brothers from a Chechnya, a republic of Russia. The one still at large is Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, 19, while his 26-year-old brother Tamerlan died in the shooting, according to authorities.

The at-large nature of the second suspect has prompted a shutdown of the greater Boston area, with Gov. Deval Patrick asking residents to remain in their homes. The search for the second bomber is ongoing.

4.21.13 Update: Jon Stroshine | Echo

The bombings of the Boston Marathon took another and perhaps final turn Friday evening, as officials captured their second suspect in the crime after a firefight in Watertown, Mass.

Police captured Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, 19, who was hiding on the floor of a boat in the backyard of a residential property in the Boston suburb.

The owner of the property noticed a rip in his boat covering and found Tsarnaev before calling 911.

Investigators are currently holding Tsarnaev, whose injuries prevent him from being interrogated, in custody.

Tsarnaev's brother Tamerlan died in a shootout early Friday. Dzhokhar escaped the encounter, prompting a lockdown of Boston and the surrounding area by police.