Two bombs go off at the Boston Marathon

[VaSteve]

Watch these people (especially in the camo) just run towards the mess and get busy helping. Amazing.

Explosions at the Boston Marathon - YouTube

[quicksix]

My heartfelt condolences to the ALL people affected by todays cowardly act.
We are a curious species,ruled by emotion,given to unspeakable acts against our fellow man.
Why did this happen?
I can not see in to someone else's heart and see the hatred, or twisted logic that dives an ideology.
The analogy of billions of people,against the fractional minority of cowards that walk amongst us,is spot on.
Tommorrow,get up and do not give in to the feeling of fear,hug your chidren,love all people, and thank your choice of higher powers for the gift of life.
This is still the greatest country on the planet.
Pull together.

[Jim Bremner]

Originally Posted by cockerpunk

lots more then 3 are dead. looking at some unreleased to the public pics after the explosion i count at least 5 dead on the scene, lots of missing limbs, which are survivable, if you don't bleed out. but there is tons of blood too ... im sure some of them didnt make it.

looking at the calender, i have my suspicions as to who/what caused this. seems like a great day to make a point ....

Michael Moore puts two and two together after Boston Marathon bombing | Twitchy

[12own911]

In support of this awful event, tomorrow I will wear one of my race shirts to honor the sadness that these events have had on us today.

[Schumi]

I'm not liking the seeming joy the media gets out of reporting these stories. These journalists live for this stuff to happen.

I can't go to one website and see the entire front page of the website devoted to what happened in Boston. I'm not saying it doesn't need to be documented, but man... is it selfish that i just don't want to see it? Not disrespecting the victims, but moreso I really don't want to be reminded every 5 minutes what happened today. It was horrible and my sympathies are with those involved, and at that I guess I should just turn my computer and TV off for a few days and go about my life because I really hate giving the media any mouseclicks or pageviews, promoting their wonderful service of reporting on other people's losses. Turns my stomach to think about it.


Edit- and I really hope the one guy in the particularly gruesome photo on TheAtlantic- I hope that guy made it. That was bad, and it looked as though he was conscious, holding on. And seeing the people helping that guy, jumping into action- the dude in the cowboy hat, I bet he didn't even know the guy. Wild.

[Tobra]

Anyone heard from Shaun?

[porsche4life]

I saw he and CJ had both posted on Facebook...


CJ was actually running and had crossed the line not long before... Thank god he was fast...

[LeeH]

Originally Posted by Tobra

Anyone heard from Shaun?

Shaun's okay.

[Tobra]

cool, thanks

[Porsche-O-Phile]

It's doubly wonderful that so many people rushed to help and render assistance when one considers that it's a common tactic for terrorists to use multiple explosives with a few seconds or minutes delay between them - the idea being to use the follow up detonations to injure and kill the responders. I've run the Boston Marathon twice in my younger days and really hope this event doesn't ruin a wonderful and time-honored tradition in what really is a great city. It's a rite of spring every year - people all come out, line the course for miles, scream and cheer their lungs out for hours - and not just for the "elite" athletes either. For many years this event really has brought out the best in people and been a great time for participants and spectators alike. It'd be a shame if the response next year is a heavy-handed mandatory screening or pat-down of the thousands of spectators in Back Bay. If we resort to that (a la TSA) then the terrorists win. It means the event is permanently overshadowed by their actions. I think the best way to honor those who suffer/died is to dismiss the evil actions and allow the event to continue as what it's been for so many years - a positive and uplifting experience for everyone involved. I hope the person or persons responsible get some serious karma levied upon them and my heart breaks for the people that lost family members or friends. That said I hope the event goes own as it has for over a hundred years and we don't let this action define it in the years to come. My motivation is rising to train again and maybe run it one more time in honor of the fallen and broken. We'll see - I'm a much older and more out-of-shape guy than I once was, but I think it'd be appropriate to do.

All the best to the victims and the police working to solve this.

[red-beard]

The facts we know:

1. The bomb was similar to IEDs used in Afghanistan and Iraq
2. They were "crude" bombs made with "household" chemicals
3. They were covered with some sort of shrapnel (BB's or ball bearings)
4. They were hidden in a runner like bag and a trash can
5. Timed to go off when slow packs of runners and families would be around.
6. None of the "other devices" turned out to be bombs.
7. The bombs were fairly close together, less than 1/2 mile.

My questions:

If this was a "Tax Day" protest, why the Boston Marathon? It would seem some sort of Washington target would be more likely, or a post office with people dropping off returns. It would more likely be something related.

If this was someone connected to Al Qaeda, why haven't they taken responsibility?

Who ever it is, it seems like it was more "lone wolf" than organized.

[GG Allin]

The conspiracy theorist in me thinks that in the long run, it's gonna get a lot harder to load one's own ammo. To be clear, I don't believe this is a conspiracy, but I do believe that getting gun powder in the future will get much harder as a result of this.

[VaSteve]

Originally Posted by red-beard

My questions:

If this was a "Tax Day" protest, why the Boston Marathon? It would seem some sort of Washington target would be more likely, or a post office with people dropping off returns. It would more likely be something related.

Cameras aren't covering Tax Return drop offs. Apparently, this is some kind of holiday called "Patriot's Day".

No matter what, it's Terrorism 9(ie, people were terrorized), regardless of what the President says:

President Barack Obama was careful not to use the words "terror" or "terrorism" as he spoke at the White House on Monday, but an administration official said the bombings were being treated as an act of terrorism.

[rusnak]

We also know that the two explosions were timed very close together, like perhaps 5 seconds.

A lone wolf might have trouble planting and coordinating the two explosions. I think it might be a domestic wacko group with no access to controlled explosives.

[lonewolf]

What we really know.
The acts of courage, heroism and kindness by the people of Boston far outweigh any act at trying to bring them down.

[Porsche-O-Phile]

Patriots Day is a Massachusetts (really just Suffolk County) holiday commemorating the start of the Revolutionary War. It's always the 3rd Monday in April and is the traditional day for the Marathon. The fact that it coincided with "Tax Day" is coincidence - some years it's before, others after, others (like yesterday) on. IIRC MA residents get a tax filing extension until today for state, possibly federal too because of the holiday (or quasi-holiday, whichever - I'm not sure it's even still a formal state holiday anymore in this age of cutbacks and holiday / benefit cuts).

[red-beard]

Latest news, pressure cookers were used to house the bombs. This is typical of Iraq/Afghanistan. It is sounding more and more like the person who committed this was trained in the Middle East.

The one of the Times Square bombs was also housed in a pressure cooker.

[HardDrive]

Originally Posted by red-beard

Latest news, pressure cookers were used to house the bombs. This is typical of Iraq/Afghanistan. It is sounding more and more like the person who committed this was trained in the Middle East.

The one of the Times Square bombs was also housed in a pressure cooker.

But in the age of the internet, a lone wacko could have simply read about this.

[VaSteve]

Originally Posted by HardDrive

But in the age of the internet, a lone wacko could have simply read about this.

Just like a Middle Eastern Terrorist could have read about "Patriot's Day". Terrorism is supposed to be symbolic and "showy". A random movie theater, elementary school or Tuscon shopping center isn't necessarily symbolic.

[Baz]

Whoever did this (along with their ilk) is/are not human - they are scum.