Two bombs detonated near the Boston Marathon finish line Monday afternoon, killing at least three people—including an eight-year-old boy—and injuring more than 140 others, according to media outlets at 12 a.m. Tuesday morning.
The explosions—which occurred within seconds of each other—were between 50 and 100 yards apart from one another on Boylston Street, a popular thoroughfare in downtown Boston. The blast closest to the finish line exploded in a dense crowd of spectators, followed by a massive cloud of smoke, as seen in a video posted by Boston Globe. Several runners close to the finish line collapsed on the course from the shock of the explosion.
“This is such a huge event for the running world and the U.S.,” said Michael Fucci, a first-year master of public policy candidate, who participated in the race. “When something like this happens, and you feel close to it, it’s the worst thing that could possibly happen.”
Around 18,000 runners out of the original 23,000 who started the race had already crossed the finish line before bombs went off around 3 p.m. The remaining runners were stopped around the 21st mile and were told the race was over, said senior Erin Sweeney, who was watching the race at the 21st mile as her younger sister ran.
“They wouldn’t let people complete the race,” Sweeney said. “They didn’t want more people to cross the finish line, so even as far as Boston College [five miles from the finish], the police formed a wall and wouldn’t let anyone get past.”
Fucci had finished the race about an hour before the bombs went off, alongside Laura Mortimer, also a first-year master of public policy candidate. From a safe distance, Fucci watched news coverage of the blasts.
“I was terrified because—having literally just been there—it felt so close,” Fucci said. “I was really appalled.”
He noted that security was heightened at Boston Logan International Airport, and he was surprised that the airport did not cancel flights.
“I thought it was fireworks or some kind of cannon,” said Jenny Kelemen, Trinity ’11, who could hear the explosions from her apartment. “I didn’t think it was anything bad. I thought it was celebratory.”
Kelemen left her office in downtown Boston around lunchtime Monday to watch runners approach the finish line on Boylston Street. About two hours before the explosions, she headed home to her apartment three blocks away and stayed there the rest of the day.
Kelemen added that all the Duke-affiliated people she knows in Boston were accounted for and safe on Monday.
She said the area—a central location in downtown Boston—was “bizarrely quiet” in the immediate aftermath of the explosions, even though it is normally buzzing with tourists and shoppers.
“It’s an area where otherwise I’ve always felt extraordinarily safe,” Kelemen said. “No one would have expected something like this would have happened here because it’s so friendly and bustling.”
Shortly after 6 p.m., President Barack Obama addressed the nation in a televised news conference. He explained that the person or organization responsible for the attack is still unknown, but that FBI and Department of Homeland Security resources are being deployed to “investigate and respond.”
“Make no mistake—we will get to the bottom of this,” Obama said. “And we will find out who did this. We’ll find out why they did this. Any responsible individuals, any responsible groups will feel the full weight of justice.”
Obama also noted that Monday was Patriots’ Day—a Massachusetts holiday that commemorates the battles of Lexington and Concord—and many had the day off from work and school. Patriots’ day celebrates the “free and independent spirit” that Boston has displayed since its earliest days, Obama said.
“The courageous acts of the first responders and others who rushed to the aid of the injured remind us that they are the true patriots today,” wrote Vice President for Student Affairs Larry Moneta in an email to students Monday night.
Yue Jiang, Trinity ’12, currently works in Boston, and noted the courageous acts of many who were nearby the incident. Some runners continued past the finish line straight to the hospital to donate blood, he said.
Google established a “People Finder” search engine shortly after the incident, where information can be posted and updated as specific people are confirmed safe or missing. As of 11 p.m. Monday night, over 4,700 records were being tracked on the search engine. A Google Doc, titled “I have a place to offer” is also available online with hundreds of phone numbers and emails addresses of Boston residents able to take in runners or spectators for the night after the tragedy.
“I have an extra bed and a couch,” reads one entry. “Available for as long as needed. I can come pick the person/people up in Boston. Call, email, or text me if I can help. God Bless.”
Students from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Harvard University and Northeastern University, among others, also signed up on the page to share their dorm rooms for the night.
Kelemen said after the blasts, messages started to flood her phone, so she looked at Twitter to see what was happening. Her cell phone service was shut down, so she emailed her parents and posted on Facebook to let everyone know she was safe.
LC Coleman, Trinity ’10, who lived in Boston for a year after graduation, noted the power of social media in connecting those who might be uninformed or unreachable during the unfolding circumstances.
“I have best friends in Boston and New York and San Francisco, and tragedy that’s happening however many hours drive away is still a lot more tangibly connected to you than it would be 20 years ago,” she said. “This happened in Boston, but these are my people.”
Lauren Carroll, Raisa Chowdhury and Margot Tuchler contributed reporting.
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