Dzhokhar Tsarnaev
The Boston area remains on lockdown as the manhunt continues for suspected Boston Marathon bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev. Tamerlan Tsarnaev, Dzhokhar's brother ask known as the "black-capped suspect" from yesterday's FBI photos, was killed last night. The Tsarnaevs, aged 19 and
2026, have lived in the U.S. for more than a decade, but were born outside the U.S. From news reports, the elder brother was born in Kyrgyzstan and the younger was born in Russia.
A massive manhunt continues. Initially, media outlets were trailing authorities and covering their actions live, but after the police and FBI requested the media to stop broadcasting tactical information, the media backed off. As a result, there really isn't any solid information about exactly what's taking place at the moment. But we do know that last night one of the two bombing suspects was killed and his younger brother remains on the run.
One piece of the backstory that's remarkable: Jeff Baumun one of the bomb victims, despite having suffered traumatic injury, was able to give FBI a crucial clue that helped guide the investigation:
“He woke up under so much drugs, asked for a paper and pen and wrote, ‘bag, saw the guy, looked right at me,’” [his brother] Chris Bauman said yesterday in an interview.
What amazing willpower for Bauman to be able to deliver that clue despite his injuries.
7:00 AM PT: CNN says the suspect was a student a University of Massachusetts at Dartmouth.
7:05 AM PT: New York Times reports on the brothers' Chechen background.
The brothers have substantial presences on social media. On Vkontakte, Russia’s most popular social media platform, the younger brother, Dzhokhar, describes his worldview as “Islam” and, asked to identify “the main thing in life,” answers “career and money.” He lists a series of affinity groups relating to Chechnya, and lists a verse from the Koran, “Do good, because Allah loves those who do good.”
7:06 AM PT:
BREAKING NEWS: Police fear suspect in terror bombings is wearing an explosive vest, source tells Globe.
— @BostonGlobe via HootSuite
7:10 AM PT: NBC's Pete Williams reports "This morning authorities found another bomb in Boston. A device in the Charlesgate area. [It was safely detonated] ... They are concerned there may be accomplices at large." Williams also reiterated that despite the reports of Chechen background, the brothers were born in Russia and Kyrgyzstan. (Edit: To be clear, Williams wasn't contradicting the Chechen background. Just that their places of birth were Russia and Kyrgyzstan, which wouldn't be uncommon.)
7:24 AM PT: Back to the manhunt: Williams says the reason for the extraordinary security was the discovery this morning of that bomb in Boston. Fortunately, it was disarmed, but it prompted concerns on the part of authorities that the brothers had either planted other bombs or were working with accomplices.
7:26 AM PT: Also according to Williams: The brothers stole a man's ATM card and drove him at gunpoint to an ATM machine to withdraw cash. On that drive, they confessed to the bombing and they also confessed to killing the MIT police officer earlier. (The slain officer is Sean Collier, 26.)
7:47 AM PT: WBZ Boston says cab service in Boston has been restored.
7:50 AM PT (Barbara Morrill): Heavy police activity in Watertown right now. Reporters told to "get back and stay down," and there is a massive police presence. Cable stations are carrying this on a five-second delay.
7:55 AM PT: NBC's Kerry Sanders, in Watertown, MA, just reported something about seeing a man in a turquoise shirt laying on the ground. Not quite clear what he said, but there's massive police presence in Watertown.
7:59 AM PT (Barbara Morrill): New thread.