The Real Boston Massacre

Today's post will feature a guest writer, a classmate of mine named Erika Grad, who owns her own blog here.
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Runners: 26,839
Miles ran: 26.2
Time of explosion: 4 hours 9 minutes into marathon
Number injured and killed: 175 and 3 (respectively)

In Boston, Patriots’ Day is celebrated with the running of the Boston Marathon, the best-known racing event in the world. Because schools and businesses close for the event, more than 500,000 spectators gathered to watch the race. The day began as usual, with the marathon starting at 9:00am. And then around 1:10pm tragedy struck. Just near the finish line, two violent explosions sent thousands of spectators and runners into a state of panic and set America on high alert. What makes this horrifying event hit home for me is the fact that my aunt, Karen Harr, was among the runners when the explosions occurred. Crossing the finish line only five minutes before the first detonation, she was catching her breath in the medical tent when the blasts sent a shockwave through her body. After returning to her hometown of Pittsburgh, Karen describes her personal experience in the aftermath of the event on NPR.

Tamerlan and Dzokhar Tsarnaev were the two Chechen brothers suspected of plotting the attacks. In a televised broadcast, President Obama stated “Any responsible individuals, any responsible groups, will feel the full weight of justice.” America does not take threats to its national security lightly, and so the manhunt for the two brothers began. Within 24 hours, Tamerlan Tsarnaev was gunned down by police officers while Dzokhar Tsarnaev was captured only days after the bombings and questioned by authorities. The immediate response to the attacks by the U.S. government and local authorities further proves that security for America and its citizens is the number one priority.

April 15 quickly escalated from a beautiful morning of celebration to a tragic afternoon of destruction. The Boston Marathon of 2013 will no longer be remembered for bringing a city together to honor and support thousands of runners, but will instead be remembered as the racing tragedy that unified a nation against an act of terrorism.