US on alert amid tales of horror and heroism
Three people died and more than 170 were wounded when the bombs, believed to have been filled with ball bearings and nails, detonated within 100m of each other near the finish line.
Authorities have had few details to go on. No suspects have been named publicly and it is unclear if investigators are following a definite line of inquiry. Janet Napolitano, the homeland security secretary, said there was no indication that the attacks were connected to a wider plot against the US.
“While there is no current indication to suggest that the events in Boston are indicative of a broader plot, out of an abundance of caution, [the department of homeland security] continues to keep in place enhanced security measures at transportation hubs, utilising measures both seen and unseen,” said Ms Napolitano.
US President Barack Obama is due to visit Boston tomorrow. As the city tried to get back to normal, tales of horror and heroism emerged as investigators combed the wreckage and hospitals tended to the injured.
Bill Richard, the father of 8-year-old Martin, who was killed in the blasts, was yesterday trying to come to terms with the tragedy. Neighbours said he looked like the “walking dead” after learning his son was killed, his wife had suffered horrific brain injuries, and his daughter had lost a leg.
The details of the crude devices emerged as investigators appealed to the public for amateur video and photos that might yield clues to who carried out the attack.
A person who spoke on condition of anonymity said the explosives were put in 6-litre kitchen pressure cookers, hidden in black duffel bags and left on the ground. They were packed with shrapnel. The person said law enforcement officials have some of the bomb components, including a circuit board.
A doctor treating the wounded appeared to corroborate this account, saying one of the victims was maimed by what looked like ball bearings.
Similar pressure-cooker explosives have been used in Afghanistan, India, Nepal, and Pakistan. One of the three devices used in the May 2010 Times Square attempted bombing was a pressure cooker.
Meanwhile, competitors remained undaunted. Bobby Hilliard, from Co Cork, who crossed the finish line just four minutes before the explosion, has vowed to run in Boston again next year.
The second victim was last night named as Krystle Campbell, 29.
Her father William Campbell, who was at the finish line as the bombs went off, said his daughter had gone with her best friend to take a picture of the friend’s boyfriend crossing the finish line on Monday.
“My daughter was the most loveable girl.
“She helped everybody, and I’m just so shocked right now. We’re just devastated.
“She was a wonderful, wonderful girl. Always willing to lend a hand.”
Krystle, from Medford, Massachusetts, was a restaurant manager with Summer Shack.
The restaurant chain tweeted: “The Summer Shack family is devastated by the loss of our beloved Krystle Campbell. Please keep her & her family in your thoughts & prayers.”
Hordon Health, a lifestyle management company, posted on its Facebook page that they had “lost a member of its extended family yesterday” as Krystle was a friend of the company’s founder, Marc Hordon.
The post read: “She was beautiful, she was loud, and everyone loved her for it.”
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