It has been a decade since the tragedy of the bombing during the Boston Marathon in Copley Square. On April 15, 2013, Dzhokhar and Tamerlan Tsarnaev- two brothers- planted two bombs near the end of the Marathon route. When the bomb went off, three people were tragically killed and 264 were left with injuries.
Three days after the bombing, the brothers were found and caught. Within the time frame between the bombing and their capture, they had killed a police officer, stolen a car, and gotten into a fight with an officer, which resulted in Dzhokhar running Tamerlan over and killing him. Left alone, Dzhokhar hid in a covered boat in a backyard where he was found and arrested. He was charged with 30 crimes and was going to be given the death penalty, yet it was later reversed.
One of the victims was eight-year-old Martin Richard, who was standing at the finish line. Martin’s mother had been blinded during the bombing and was unable to aid her son. His sister, also standing next to them, lost her leg. Martin’s parents wished that the court would drop the death penalty since it caused them to have to return to court, see the defendant, and relive the nightmare.
Lingzi Lu was another victim. She was a young girl with big goals who had left her home in China eight months before coming to Boston while pursuing her dream of studying at Boston College. She was a graduate student studying mathematics at the time who had gone to the race with a friend. She was disturbingly left in pieces, yet an officer who found her was able to be by her side when she passed.
The third victim was Krystle Campbell, who was 29 years old. Krystle was born and raised in Massachusetts and attended the University of Massachusetts in Boston. Krystle was known for being someone who “loved life.” The nurse who was with Krystle in her last moments said that she reminded him of his daughter, and he was heartbroken because she was too young to go. The nurse stated that he was struck by her bright blue eyeshadow- which reflected her personality. Krystle was at the race with her friend, Karen McWatters, to watch her boyfriend. Karen stated that after the bomb she was unsure why she was lying on the ground, only to find that one of her feet was facing the wrong way. Days later, she had it amputated.
The horribly tragic stories of these victims are a reminder to us how terribly fragile life is, showing us that it can be gone in an instant. Martin and his sister were simply watching the race with their family, enjoying ice cream, at the time of the incident. Lu had been spending time with a friend, Krystle was being a supportive girlfriend and had no idea of the devastation to come. Events like these need to be remembered and honored, so that we may never forget.
Sources:
- https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/21pdf/20-443_m6ho.pdf
- https://deathpenaltyinfo.org/news/supreme-court-overturns-appeals-court-decision-reversing-death-sentence-in-boston-marathon-bombing#:~:text=In%20a%206%2D3%20decision,court%20found%20it%20unnecessary%20to
- https://www.cnn.com/2013/04/17/us/boston-victim-final-moments/index.html
- https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2979093/Boston-set-remember-bloody-week-bombing-trial-opens.html