2013 Boston Marathon Anniversary Approaches [VIDEO]
As the April 15th anniversary of the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing nears, one case comes to an end, those who died are being remembered, and new lives are just beginning.
At the 2013 Boston Marathon, terrorists set off two bombs a few hundred yards from the finish line, killing three and wounding over 200. Among the injured was Jeff Bauman, whose iconic picture was taken as three rescuers escorted him to safety. Later, the doctors would have to amputate both legs. When Jeff awoke in the hospital, even though he could not speak at first, he wrote on a piece of paper – “Saw the guy. Looked right at me,” trying to help police and the FBI in their search for the terrorists.
A year later, Jeff is engaged to Erin Hurley, who was still running the Boston Marathon when the bombs exploded. Jeff and Erin are expecting a child. They don’t know if it’s a boy or a girl, and look forward to being surprised. Jeff and Erin’s new lives begin on July 14, the due date for their new baby’s arrival. Bauman has said the incident didn’t kill him, only made him stronger. Bauman’s new book Stronger will be released on April 8th, 2014, one week before the 2014 Boston Marathon. It is available for pre-order now.
Last year on May 22, 2013, Ibragim Todashev was shot multiple times and killed by an FBI agent in his Orlando apartment. The Russian had caught the attention of law enforcement once they were aware of his friendship with alleged terrorist Tamerlan Tsarnaev. CNN reported that Todashev was about to sign a confession of his implication in the 2011 slaying in Waltham, Massachussets that took the lives of three men, when law enforcement noticed a change in his demeanor. Shortly afterwards, Todashev threw a coffetable at an FBI agent who was struck in the head. Todashev allegedly grabbed a pole and attacked the downed agent. The agent shot Todashev once in the head and multiple times in the body.
CBS News states that State Attorney Jeff Ashton reported that the shooting of Todashev was “justified in self-defense.” USA TODAY also reported two separate findings. The Justice Department stated that the “evidence does not reveal a violation” of federal civil rights laws and a separate review by the FBI stated that the incident was “consistent with the (Justice Department’s) deadly force policy.” As this particular incident appears to be coming to a conclusion, other groups continue conducting their own investigations into the matter, including the Council on American-Islamic Relations in Tampa.
Also to be remembered is Sean A. Collier of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Police Department, who was killed by the terrorists as they attempted to get his weapon from him. This was only hours after photos of the suspected terrorists were released. Those killed at the 2013 Boston Marathon itself include Krystle Marie Campbell age 29, Lu Lingzi age 23, and Martin William Richard, who was only eight years old when the second bomb took his life.
