UPDATE: Counterterrorism officials found what they believe to be five additional, undetonated explosive devices around the Boston area, according to two people briefed on the rapidly moving investigation.
The devices—which are in addition to the two that exploded near the finish line of the marathon—were discovered over the course of a frantic inspection of suspicious packages, many of them abandoned as pedestrians, runners, and others scrambled away from crowded public streets. Each had been rendered inoperative or was in the process of being rendered inoperative, the officials said.
Roupen Bastajian, a state trooper from Smithfield, R.I., had just finished the race when he heard the explosions.
“I started running toward the blast. And there were people all over the floor,” he said. “We started grabbing tourniquets and started tying legs. A lot of people amputated. … At least 25 to 30 people have at least one leg missing, or an ankle missing, or two legs missing.”
One explosion and then another obviously indicates terrorism. You can clearly hear the second explosion after the first.
I’m not certain of the facts yet — no one is — things are chaotic and it is early, but I wouldn’t be surprised if there are unexploded bombs that failed to detonate. If this is a Middle Eastern-type planned event, then there would be secondary bombs rigged to explode or be triggered remotely in order to kill the first and subsequent waves of emergency responders.
It is now indicated that ball bearings were involved in the packing of the explosives.
From FoxNews.com:
At least two people are dead and 73 injured – including up to 10 with amputated limbs – after two bombs tore through the finish line of the Boston Marathon, according to the Boston Police Department.
Authorities were guarding a person of interest at a local hospital, according to a New York Post report confirmed by Fox News. The person, who sources said was 20 years old, had severe burns, but authorities had not determined whether the person was a victim or a perpetrator. Boston Police Commissioner Edward Davis said during a press conference that no suspect is in custody.
The simultaneous explosions just before 3 p.m. and reports of two other unexploded devices found near the scene raised suspicions of a terrorist attack. Intelligence officials told The Associated Press two unexploded devices were being dismantled. Competitors and race organizers were crying as they fled the bloody chaos, while some witnesses reported seeing victims with lost limbs.
“Somebody’s leg flew by my head,” a spectator, who gave his name as John Ross, told the Boston Herald. “I gave my belt to stop the blood.”
Information also indicates the devices detonated not as the first persons were finishing, but later on in the race. They were placed not far from the finish line itself.
One dead victim is a child; other children are seriously injured. 176 total are injured.
After TWO days, Mr Obama finally labeled the acts as “terrorism.”
BZ
