President Obama vows to find those behind Boston Marathon bombing (NYDailyNews)
President Obama quickly pledged “every single federal resource necessary” to Boston in the wake of the bombings at the marathon, while underscoring that as of early Monday evening he did not know “who did this or why.” “But make no mistake,” he said in the White House briefing room, “we will find out who did this, why they did this. Any responsible group will feel the full weight of justice.” …Addressing the nation at 6:10 p.m., Obama did not use the word “terrorism,” though the Federal Bureau of Investigation technically deems any explosion involving an explosive device as “terrorism” and asserts jurisdiction. He spoke as a section of Pennsylvania Avenue near the White House was closed off in the wake of the bombings.
Boston Marathon bombing proves evil never leaves us in peace (LATimes)
The terrorist bombing at the Boston Marathon is yet another cause for despair. It places the hometown of Paul Revere, Sam Adams and the Sons of Liberty in company with Mumbai, Karachi and Baghdad, as well as Oklahoma City. Hour after hour Monday, the same heart-wrenching images cycled through the nonstop television coverage: moms, dads, kids, amateur athletes shooting for a personal best, all suddenly engulfed in horror. As I write, the death toll is set at three; the number of reported injuries has climbed to 134. Those numbers will probably be revised upward. One moment, happy people celebrating Boston’s Patriots’ Day holiday stood cheering for friends and family at the marathon finish line; the next they were on the ground, bleeding, stunned, grievously wounded, pulverized by shrapnel, many legs blown off by the bomb blast. They were random victims of some person or group of people who did not have an ounce of empathy for them.
Boston Marathon Bomber Loose as Authorities Race for Clues (ABCNews)
Hundreds of U.S. law enforcement agents are racing to gather and analyze every shred of evidence from Monday’s deadly Boston Marathon bombing for a hint of the attacker, but the morning after three were killed and nearly 150 more injured in twin explosions, no one has been taken into custody. Overnight a tip about possible explosives led federal agents to search an apartment on the fifth floor of a building in the Boston suburb of Revere. Agents later told residents there was nothing to worry about, but the quick and overwhelming law enforcement response underscored the urgency of the FBI’s effort to track and stop the people responsible. “This cowardly act will not be taken in stride,” Boston Police Commissioner Ed Davis said. “We will turn [over] every rock to find the people responsible for this.”
Elderly competitor becomes enduring image of bombing (NineMSN)
Retired builder Bill Iffrig, 78, is seen in shocking footage being knocked to the ground by the force of the first explosion just metres from the finish line. But the triple-Boston Marathon veteran was helped back to his feet by a race official before he turned around and finished the race. “I got down to within 15 feet of the finishing apron and just tremendous explosion, sounded like a bomb went off right next to me,” Mr Iffrig told CNN. “The shock waves just hit my whole body and my legs just started jittering around.
UN chief calls Boston Marathon bombing ‘senseless violence’ (ZeeNews)
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Monday condemned the bombing at the Boston Marathon, calling it “senseless violence.” Speaking at a ceremony at UN Headquarters commemorating the 19th anniversary of the Rwanda genocide, Ban said the bombing “is all the more appalling for taking place at an event renowned for bringing people together from around the world in a spirit of sportsmanship and harmony.” He said that although reports on the incident were still coming in, it was already known that there are dead and wounded. “For now I just wanted to say that my thoughts are with everyone in Boston,” Ban said, expressing his deepest condolences to the families of the victims and wishing those wounded a speedy recovery.
