<p>It is hard to tell motives for anything, whether this was an ideological terrorist attack, someone with a grudge against the race or someone else. My guess is whoever did this was not part of some terrorist network if it is terrorism, the MO of the devices, smokeless gun powder, pressure cooker and ball bearings sounds like someone who cooked it up after reading the net, an organized terrorist would probably use plastic explosives (gun powder has an advantage, it is very, very easy to buy in many places without raising suspicion). </p>
<p>They had a profiler on the radio, and they said that for some reason this time of the year, mid to the end of April, tends to be an active time for these kinds of attacks.</p>
<p>In the end it doesn’t really matter who did it or why, at least not to the victims. I am pretty used to horrible things, I was on a rescue squad in my late teens, but I can’t imagine the scene there, I saw images and even I had a hard time with it. </p>
<p>I hope they get whoever did this, and put them in a hole someplace 24/7, though personally I would prefer victims justice for the cowardly sack of pus that did this.</p>
<p>lindz- the story you linked also mentioned that the 8 year old boy was killed from the SECOND blast, after running from the first. I wasn’t aware of that before. Maybe all of you already knew that, but that is just heartbreaking to me.</p>
<p>The explosions were 12 seconds apart, with a reported 170 meters between them. Given the type of injuries he and his family suffered one would think he was very close to the explosion so I’m not sure if that blog report has it right.</p>
<p>It seems to me that the failure of anybody to claim responsibility makes it somewhat less likely that it’s the work of a foreign terrorist group.</p>
<p>One thing that troubles me a bit–I just finished reading the last book in the Hunger Games trilogy, and one of the plot elements is the bombing of a crowd, followed by a second bomb shortly afterwards designed to blow up responders. Perhaps that concept is already pervasive.</p>
<p>Failure of anybody to claim responsibility makes it more likely that it was a lone wolf. And one who is not in a position to make any kind of an announcement yet. </p>
<p>Al Queda has put out instructions on how to make these kind of pressure cooker bombs that anyone could have read on the Internet.</p>
<p>My H is from Boston and I have great love for the city. What a terrible, cowardly act.</p>
<p>Unlike 9/11, I have not turned on the TV. There doesn’t seem to be any real news about the possible perpetrator, I just can’t stand to hear the talking heads speculating, and I don’t want to see the film clips of the event. I’ve seen enough photos online and in the newspaper. Maybe I’m in a kind of denial, but it seems people like to wallow in the terribleness of it all. I just can’t do that.</p>
<p>Fortunately, I didn’t know anyone running the race this year so I didn’t have that particular worry when it happened.</p>
<p>And DH’s parents have passed away so there’s no one to call and console/worry with.</p>
<p>I have a sick feeling that the FBI, police, etc., have no idea who did this. They appealed for all cell phone photos and videos, and they have surveillance videos from the stores in the area. It will take a very long time to go through it. If they had any other leads, I can’t believe they’d resort to this.</p>
<p>I am worried that they will never find the person. It seems to me that this is something that someone could get away with.</p>
<p>In the Detroit Riots in the Summer of 1967, the rioters would set a fire and call in a report of the fire then would shoot at the responders from the roofs of adjacent buildings. 83 firemen were injured. 2 firemen died. One died from being shot and one was electrocuted.</p>
<p>Going back to the medical questions - on Marathon Day, a block long tent is set up about a block past the finish line to treat runners. For that one day it becomes the largest Emergency Room in the state of Mass. Although it was not set up to treat traumatic injuries - it usually deals with dehydration, overheating and sprains - it was equipped with trained medical staff who could stay calm, triage, put on tourniquets, and get people transported out quickly.</p>
<p>Also, Boston is a medical mecca. We are blessed to be the home of several major hospitals with world-class reputations. Instead of having only 2 or 3 hospitals available to treat 170 wounded, about 7 hospitals were able to take one to three dozen victims each. 31 patients were sent to Mass General, 33 patients were treated at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center; 23 at Boston Medical Center; 18 at Tufts Medical Center; 31 at Brigham and Women’s Hospital. 13 at Faulkner Hospital;10 at Boston Children’s Hospital; five at Carney Hospital; and 18 at St. Elizabeth’s Medical Center. (per CNN). This no doubt saved many lives. And since the explosion occurred at 2:50 pm and the usual hospital shift change is 3pm, it is probably true that many hospitals were already staffed above normal levels as morning shift folks stayed on to help while evening shift people had just arrived.</p>
<p>sally and flyme—I know, the poor little boy ran away from the first bomb, using good judgment/instincts, only to be killed by the second. It is unfathomable. Such evil to plan so much harm to so many. and the sick aspect of knowing how public it would all be. </p>
<p>The Unabomber’s brother recognized that the “manifesto” published in the NYT was the work of his brother. The point is, someone will figure something out. The question is, when.</p>
<p>This is exactly my fear- and I have never felt this way before. I was always confident that the bad guys would be caught. </p>
<p>I wore my Boston Marathon jacket to work today. Runners were supposed to (spread through Facebook and Twitter) wear race shirts (any race) today in support of Boston, but I didn’t think that would fly at my workplace, but the jacket was well received. I’ve run 3 Bostons, and just can’t imagine this horror. Every runner I know wants to qualify for next year and go.</p>
<p>Wow…I just got a text from the young woman who got my call…from a area code listed as California
" Hi I received a call from this number.It was during the chaos and I think I was sobbing when you called. I know a lot of calls got tangled and resent to odd numbers , but I wanted to let you know that I got out ok too —Sarah</p>
<p>Hearing from my teenage daughter that a friend’s father is among the injured. I know the family, but not well enough to call and ask. Hoping the injuries are minor.</p>