It's almost certain that it will take months, if not years, to sift through the volume of data and evidence to resolve this. And before that is done any conclusions are mere speculation.
Explosion at Boston Marathon.....
- Thread starter Dawg52
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It's almost certain that it will take months, if not years, to sift through the volume of data and evidence to resolve this. And before that is done any conclusions are mere speculation.
timo2
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
True. but people love to speculate, and that won't stop. The trouble is when people start treating speculation as truth. My personal speculation is if it was not a suicide event, it has a high probability of being domestic perpetrators.
RunningBum
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
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Got back from Boston last night. I had crossed the finish line about 50 minutes before the blasts and was well clear. I was far enough away that I didn't hear anything, but did hear sirens afterward as I was trying to find the bar a bunch of us were meeting at. My first thought is that there might be a runner in cardiac arrest being rushed to the hospital. Got to the bar and within a couple minutes people started hearing the news via twitter, then on TV. The mood instantly changed from the post-race high and sharing stories to shock and anger, and concern with people we hadn't seen yet. Eventually all were accounted for of both my online and local friends. One friend cross the finish about 30 seconds before the blast and turned and saw the stands emptying and people in disarray, though not in total panic. A few others got caught where they stopped and diverted people about 1/2 mile from the finish.
One friend heard someone in his hotel say that he was in the stands and saw someone run out and drop a bag along the side of the course and run away and very shortly later the explosion happened. That doesn't sound too likely given the other reports, but I'd hate to think someone is so pathetic that they'd make up a story like that for attention or whatever. In any case my friend did pass along that info to the FBI, though as a second hand story it didn't get jumped on as key information. Other than that, I was limited to the same information and conflicting stories that you all were. I have no insight to offer on domestic vs. international terrorist.
We stayed in the bar for quite awhile because it was in a basement and seemed safe, plus the police wanted people off the streets, and for awhile we didn't know the JFK thing wasn't related, so we didn't know if there was more coming. When I finally did walk the 3-4 blocks to my hotel, it was pretty eerie at how few people and cars were out, except for a lot of law enforcement and some fire trucks out, all with lights going, and some sirens. Helicopters overhead too. Someone else had heavy duty SWAT trucks at the entrance and checking everyone going in very carefully. It was like the next thing you expected to see was Jack Bauer hopping out of a black SUV. My hotel just required me to show my key to get in the building.
Yesterday things were getting back to somewhat normal except at the blast area, which was blocked off and had news trucks from all over parked just outside the barricades. I went to Cambridge as I had originally planned to tour Harvard and MIT, and thought maybe getting out of the middle of Boston wasn't a bad idea. I got lots of nods and smiles as I went around in my marathon jacket and shirt, and a few people stopped to talk with me. One was nearly in tears, one was very angry, most were just resolved not to let this ruin everything, and told me they hoped I'd come back. Unfortunately I didn't run fast enough to re-qualify, but if I do again, I'll be back. I didn't hear anyone who said this would keep them away. In fact one friend had told us before the race that this would be his last Boston and perhaps his last marathon, and afterward he said F it, I'm coming back in 2014.
The other thing about yesterday is that there were national guard all over the subways, and police cars and beat cops everywhere. And while you expect to hear sirens in the city, when I'd hear them, especially fire trucks, I got that sick feeling in my stomach that more bad had happened. Fortunately it didn't, but I was happy when my delayed flight finally took off.
One friend heard someone in his hotel say that he was in the stands and saw someone run out and drop a bag along the side of the course and run away and very shortly later the explosion happened. That doesn't sound too likely given the other reports, but I'd hate to think someone is so pathetic that they'd make up a story like that for attention or whatever. In any case my friend did pass along that info to the FBI, though as a second hand story it didn't get jumped on as key information. Other than that, I was limited to the same information and conflicting stories that you all were. I have no insight to offer on domestic vs. international terrorist.
We stayed in the bar for quite awhile because it was in a basement and seemed safe, plus the police wanted people off the streets, and for awhile we didn't know the JFK thing wasn't related, so we didn't know if there was more coming. When I finally did walk the 3-4 blocks to my hotel, it was pretty eerie at how few people and cars were out, except for a lot of law enforcement and some fire trucks out, all with lights going, and some sirens. Helicopters overhead too. Someone else had heavy duty SWAT trucks at the entrance and checking everyone going in very carefully. It was like the next thing you expected to see was Jack Bauer hopping out of a black SUV. My hotel just required me to show my key to get in the building.
Yesterday things were getting back to somewhat normal except at the blast area, which was blocked off and had news trucks from all over parked just outside the barricades. I went to Cambridge as I had originally planned to tour Harvard and MIT, and thought maybe getting out of the middle of Boston wasn't a bad idea. I got lots of nods and smiles as I went around in my marathon jacket and shirt, and a few people stopped to talk with me. One was nearly in tears, one was very angry, most were just resolved not to let this ruin everything, and told me they hoped I'd come back. Unfortunately I didn't run fast enough to re-qualify, but if I do again, I'll be back. I didn't hear anyone who said this would keep them away. In fact one friend had told us before the race that this would be his last Boston and perhaps his last marathon, and afterward he said F it, I'm coming back in 2014.
The other thing about yesterday is that there were national guard all over the subways, and police cars and beat cops everywhere. And while you expect to hear sirens in the city, when I'd hear them, especially fire trucks, I got that sick feeling in my stomach that more bad had happened. Fortunately it didn't, but I was happy when my delayed flight finally took off.
Sarah in SC
Moderator Emeritus
Thank you for the report, Bum, and for letting us know you and your friends were safe.
My spouse is giving a presentation at city hall today, and so we're on pins and needles. I told her that Boston was going to be the safest city in America for the next few days, and I sure hope that's true, but it is nice to see her checking in from the coffee shop down the block from city hall, and I'll be happy if she checks in a few more times before she heads home.
RunningBum, hope you make it back next year.
timeasterday
Recycles dryer sheets
Me too. I'm running my first half marathon later this year and I had planned on not doing any longer distance than that. This event has motivated me to go for a full marathon eventually. I hope that one day I can qualify for the Boston marathon, and I will work towards that goal.
Sarah in SC
Moderator Emeritus
Bum, it looks like that third-hand story might be legit. The AP reports that security video of a man as you described is what is leading to an arrest. Insane.
obgyn65
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Just heard that an arrest has been made. That was fast, less than 48 hours after the explosions. It's about 12.55pm right now.
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obgyn65
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
It's about 1.35pm now, and CNN is saying that no arrest has been made after all. Confusing.
keegs
Recycles dryer sheets
looks like CNN is backpedaling on the arrest report.
youbet
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
My spouse is driving on the streets of Chicago today, so we're on pins and needles too!
It's worse here than in Afghanistan.
http://www.wnd.com/2013/01/chicago-murders-top-afghanistan-death-toll/
Solving the Boston bombing is very important. But it seems like that will be just a beginning to the wall we have to climb to reduce murders, deaths caused by drunk drivers, etc. in our great land.
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obgyn65
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
One suspect dead, one still at large.
FinanceDude
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
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Sorry to hear about your friend's daughter.......
As far as checks written to Uncle Sam this year, I would gladly switch amounts with you.......
One perpetrator killed, the other, (his brother) still on the loose at this time. A night of violence, one MIT security officer killed, one Boston Transit Authority officer critically wounded.
In other news, Congress is debating legislation concerning who should be allowed to come to America to live permanently. I think we'll all want to be sure that those who come here to stay have accepted (by word and deed) some core principles. Maybe the legislation can address that, thereby reducing friction that adversely affects the vast majority of immigrants who make extremely positive contributions to our country. Nobody is hurt more by incidents like the tragedy in Boston.
3 days. But I guess it's not resolved until we know a bit more about motivations and any other accomplices/folks who knew about these guys and didn't report. Good work by the investigators, and a healthy dose of good fortune for the investigators. Not much attempt by the perpetrators to hide their identity--maybe they were hoping for their greater reward and not much concerned about this life. More "speculation".
Well, it looks like a little of both. The brothers weren't born and raised here, but they've been here for a long time (first reports: About 10 years). That's long enough to know our society and to decide whether they want to assimilate. They didn't.
In other news, Congress is debating legislation concerning who should be allowed to come to America to live permanently. I think we'll all want to be sure that those who come here to stay have accepted (by word and deed) some core principles. Maybe the legislation can address that, thereby reducing friction that adversely affects the vast majority of immigrants who make extremely positive contributions to our country. Nobody is hurt more by incidents like the tragedy in Boston.
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They were here from about age 7 and 8, so through the majority of the formative years. They weren't born here, but they were raised here, and indeed have spent most of their lives here.
If you were watching the local news here all morning you'd know that that's not true. They surely did assimilate, engaging with classmates and others in the kind of social relationships you'd expect, liked and well-regarded, participating in school sports, etc.
One of the most telling things, for me, is that the FBI hasn't stormed a mosque or interrogated an Imam. Given our nation's quick rush to judgement against Muslims, I would have expected to see that, if these two were substantially religious. Unless there is information we don't know, this would be one of the most telling indicators of their assimilation: Secularization.
Are we going to ban all families with minor children, given that, for all we know, the parents are utterly loyal Americans, while the children were not old enough at age 7 and 8 to establish what their core principles were?
Look at the video of the bombings and the reports of the shootouts last night. Let me know how deep and well that assimilation is going.
So, maybe it's your expectations about "our nation's quick rush to judgement against Muslims" that need to be examined. Were they Muslims? Why do you bring that up?
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ChiliPepr
Full time employment: Posting here.
Sitting here in my office in the Hancock building (about 100 yards from where the blast happend), office nearly empty, steets deserted.
Assimilation has nothing to do with what wrong people do, but rather how much they embrace the culture. Someone can be born in our culture and do what these two did: No one would accused McVeigh and Nicols of not being American.
The older one's profile page was presented on the local news here, as well as links provided online - it showed his religious affiliation.
Because I'm watching the local news here and some I'm probably getting a lot more detailed information than what the network news is presenting.
ChiliPepr
Full time employment: Posting here.
There have not been any definitive links to the Muslim religion, but there have been some things that point in that direction, like this article from the Washington Post.
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