The Boston Marathon Bombing

Like many around the world, I was shocked!  It was one more act meant to inflict fear throughout the world.  While bombings are a sad but normal occurrence in some parts of the world, thankfully they are not in North America.  When they do happen in North America, it is a huge wake-up call.

The two homemade bombs that detonated in the last stretch of the Boston marathon left three dead including an eight year old boy, many wounded some still in critical condition and at least ten who had to undergo amputations.  Yesterday, the law officials showed pictures of the suspected bombers who were carrying backpacks.  Then the identities of the suspects who were brothers, Tamerlan Tsarnaey(aged 26) and Dzhokhar Tsarnaev (age 19) was released.  They had immigrated to the US and assimilated into the American culture close to ten years ago.  Despite careful planning to execute the bombings, the brothers failed to plan their get away.  So they robbed a variety store, shot and killed a young MIT police officer and hijacked a car.  Apparently, the younger brother ran over the older brother while attempting to get away.  The older brother died in which originally was being reported as a shoot-out with police but explosives were found on his person so now there is a question as to whether he detonated the explosives himself.  The official cause of death will likely be released after an autopsy.  As it stands, 5 people are dead over this senseless act of terrorism.

This morning, I turned on CNN to catch the latest update.  About ten minutes later, reporters on scene of where there was a heavy police presence in Watertown, Mass. where the brothers lived, all of a sudden were very excited.  Police and tactical units were moving into the area in droves, police dogs were on scene, a helicopter was circling overhead making tighter and tighter circles and according to the reporters, they could smell smoke.  Police were evacuating the area and moving back people.  Then they moved people back again.  This is a heavily populated area so many families are affected.  The whole scene is buzzing with activity in a surreal atmosphere.  Reporters break in with short interviews from family and friends who knew the brothers then go back to watching the unfolding drama, waiting to hear what is happening but only able to speculate in the meantime.  And the manhunt for Dzhokhar Tsarnaev continues...