2013 Boston Marathon bombings

The 2013 Boston Marathon bombings occurred on April 15, 2013, when two bombs were detonated during the Boston Marathon at approximately 2:50 p.m. EDT (18:50 UTC) on Boylston Street near Copley Square, just before the finish line. The blasts killed 3 people and injured at least 144 others. There are no official suspects. At least one additional undetonated bomb was found.

Attacks
Two bombs went off within 550 ft of each other, killing 3 people and injuring at least 144. Video from the finish line shows a period of about 12 seconds between the two blasts, the first occurring outside Marathon Sports at 671 Boylston Street, the second about one block farther away from the finish line. The race clock at the finish line was showing 04:09:43 (4 hours, 9 minutes, and 43 seconds since the third wave, or group, of runners started the marathon) at the time of the first explosion. The winners had crossed the finish line about two hours earlier; other runners were still coming across. Storefront windows nearby were blown out, and a window on the third floor of the Boston Public Library was damaged. Law enforcement officials said that they believe the explosions were caused by homemade bombs that were packed with metal ball bearings that acted as destructive shrapnel. There had been no prior indications of an imminent attack.

Victims
Three people were confirmed dead, one of whom was 8-year-old Martin Richard of the Dorchester neighborhood of Boston.

Local hospitals reported that they were treating numerous injuries, some of them grievous. Eight hospitals report that they have treated or are treating at least 124 people. Of those, at least 15 are in critical condition. Some witnesses have described victims with injuries from shrapnel such as ball bearings. Over 100 were being treated at various facilities. Twenty-two of the injured were treated at Massachusetts General Hospital, 10 at Boston Children's Hospital, 9 at Tufts New England Medical Center, about 20 at Brigham and Women's Hospital, and 20 at Boston Medical Center. At least 10 of the injured suffered severed limbs.

Response
Rescue workers, bystanders, and runners rushed to try to help the wounded in the immediate aftermath. Flights were temporarily suspended at Logan International Airport. Several cities in and out of Massachusetts put their police forces on alert.

Additional explosive devices
Numerous suspicious packages or bags were discovered. The Boston Police Bomb Squad performed a controlled explosion of one of the packages on the 600 block of Boylston Street.

According to reports two or three or as many as five additional explosive devices were discovered in the area but the Wall Street Journal is reporting that police now doubt the devices are bombs. NBC News reports that some police official say there were other bombs, while others say that there were no other explosive devices.

Boston Police Commissioner Ed Davis said that at least one additional device was found. Rep. Bill Keating of Massachusetts, a Democrat and member of the House Homeland Security Committee, said one unexploded device was found at a hotel on Boylston Street near the bomb site and another unexploded device was found at an undisclosed location

Emergency response
The marathon was abruptly halted. Police, following emergency plans, diverted the remaining runners away from the finish line to Boston Common or Kenmore Square. The nearby Lenox Hotel was also evacuated. Police closed down a 15-block area around the blast site. Massachusetts National Guard units already on scene joined local authorities in rendering aid. Bomb squads searched the area. Many bystanders had dropped backpacks and other bags as they fled, requiring each to be treated as a potential bomb. The police commissioner, Ed Davis, strongly recommended people to stay off the streets.

As a precaution, the FAA restricted airspace over Boston, and issued a ground stop for Boston's Logan International Airport. Some Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority service was halted.

United States Attorney General Eric Holder directed that the "full resources" of the United States Department of Justice be brought to bear on investigating the explosions. In New York City, counter-terrorism vehicles were deployed to landmark sites in Manhattan.

The New York Police Department increased security at hotels, Times Square, and other places Security was also increased in Washington, D.C., and the White House was partially evacuated, while Pennsylvania Avenue was cordoned off by the United States Secret Service.

The Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency suggested people trying to contact those in the vicinity use text messaging, instead of voice calls, because of crowded phone lines. The Red Cross is helping concerned friends and family receive information about runners and casualties. Cell phone service in Boston was congested but still in operation. The Boston Police Department set up a helpline for people concerned about relatives or acquaintances to contact and a line for people to provide information. Google Person Finder activated their disaster service under Boston Marathon Explosions to log known information about missing persons as a publicly viewable file.

The Navy sent one of its bomb-disposal units to Boston to assist local authorities.

The Boston Bruins home game scheduled for April 15 was postponed to a future date, and the Boston Celtics home game scheduled for the next day was canceled.

Political response
President Barack Obama addressed the nation three hours after the attack. He said that, while the perpetrator(s) were still unknown, the government would "get to the bottom of this" and that those responsible "will feel the full weight of justice".

Speaker John Boehner ordered flags on the U.S. Capitol to be flown at half-staff for victims of the attack.

International response
Organizers of the upcoming London Marathon subsequently reviewed their security arrangements, despite no specific threats against the event. Security measures have been increased worldwide as a response to the explosions in Boston. The Canadian Consulate in Boston, located approximately 250 metres from the Boston Marathon finish line, was put into "lockdown" and all calls were redirected to DFAIT in Ottawa. All staff were accounted for.

Investigation
The Federal Bureau of Investigation, who are investigating the attack along with the Central Intelligence Agency and the National Counterterrorism Center, is treating the bombings as a terrorist attack, though no perpetrator has officially been identified.

Boston police commissioner Edward Davis said at a 6 p.m. press conference, "There is no suspect in custody." Following this statement, several people who were near the scene of the blast and the surrounding area were taken into custody and questioned about the bombings. As of 8 p.m., on April 15, a 20-year-old Saudi citizen was being questioned at Brigham and Women's Medical Center in Boston, but is not listed as a suspect. The April 15 tax deadline and Patriots' Day are both associated with violent acts in the past by militia and patriot groups.

Early in the morning on April 16, police were searching an apartment in the nearby Boston suburb of Revere. Police pulled over a suspicious driver who drove past the State Police barracks several times after the bombings. They are searching the driver's home because he seemed nervous according to officials.

= Resources =