Scary News from Boston.

[Orm]

I just heard that there been multiple explosions in Boston. Close to the Boston Marathon.

I pray that that no one has been killed but I fear otherwise. I also pray for those who have been wounded.

[PunkReaper]

Why, why why..... Just people running for f@£ks sake....

[JamesM]

Lets hope the casualty numbers are very low.

[DuckofTindalos]

ORIGINAL: Punk Reaper

Why, why why..... Just people running for f@£ks sake....

Soft target, plenty of people.

We have no idea who did this, but if it's a terrorist attack, it makes perfect sense as a target.

[Orm]

ORIGINAL: Terminus

ORIGINAL: Punk Reaper

Why, why why..... Just people running for f@£ks sake....

Soft target, plenty of people.

We have no idea who did this, but if it's a terrorist attack, it makes perfect sense as a target.

Indeed. A sad world we live in.

[GJK]

IF not from an "organized" terrorist organization, then likely another one that fits the typical profile: an intelligent loaner type that was bullied or ridiculed growing up with some psychotropic or antidepressant prescriptions in their background and who seeked notoriety knowing that the coverage will saturate all news outlets plus social media websites. Just like it started with the over-saturation of news reporting from Vietnam and how our morale suffered back home for it, I wish that the coverage of these things was somehow suppressed; but they never will be nor can they be nowadays. Prayers out to the victims and their families.

[DuckofTindalos]

It's far too early to speculate, but from the reports I've seen, it could have been worse. No high-yield detonations, plenty of flash, smoke and concussion, but little shrapnel effect. Smells homemade to me.

Two dead are three too many, obviously, but it could have been 100 times as many, with that many people around.

Also, why did they wait so long to detonate? From what I've heard, the winner had crossed the finish line four hours before the blasts.

[Alfred]

The bulk of the field would have been in the zone. For amateurs, an excellent marathon time is 3 hours and a good result is 3.5 hours.

Alfred

[DuckofTindalos]

Point. The place was certainly packed, which makes it all the more remarkable that the casualties were relatively limited. These were not backpacks of C4 and ball bearings.

[Alfred]

It has also been suggested that the presence of the first aid stations whose purpose is to aid the exhausted runners during and at the end of the race, has contributed to keeping the death toll low, so far.

Alfred

[Gilmer]

This was pretty scary for me earlier. I have 2 cousins that live in Boston and one texted me at 11:40 a text that made me think he was going over to watch. He made a Seinfeld reference from when Jean-Claude stayed with Seinfeld. Anyway, as soon as I heard the news I thought he was there, so I texted him. He was fine. He went to the Bosox game and THEN went over to the Marathon but he said he did not hear or see anything. I guess he left before it all went down.

His older brother has run in about 10 Boston Marathons, but he did not run today. He actually stopped running Marathons regularly about 4 years ago due to the health of his legs/feet. But, I thought he still ran the Boston every other year or so. Good news, he was not running but was actually in the office on State Street in Boston.

So, both were in the vicinity, but both were OK. I am truly sad for the victims, though. I saw some horrific pictures.

[Capt. Harlock]

I am truly sad for the victims, though. I saw some horrific pictures.

Very true. This looks like package bombs: packages, bags or backpacks dropped off in the spectator area. Because the blasts were low to the ground, there would be relatively fewer injuries to the upper chest and head, thus fewer fatalities. The dark side is many injuries to the lower limbs, including feet or even whole legs being blown off.

Kudos to the first aid responders, especially since it's not unknown for terrorists to set "follow-up" bombs to kill police and medics.

[histgamer]

ORIGINAL: Terminus
Also, why did they wait so long to detonate? From what I've heard, the winner had crossed the finish line four hours before the blasts.

I've seen speculation if it was an attack on American's or political that they'd wait because if they detonated when the winners came through they would have killed more foreigners than Americans.

[btd64]

You never thing something like this can happen so close to home. One of my daughters is west of Boston at U Mass Amhurst. Im glad she was that far away. My other daughter, my wife and I were 30 miles away. I was thinking of going in to watch it like i did years ago. Im glad i didnt. My thoughts and best wishes go out to all who were affected by this horiffic cowardly act.[&:][&:][&:]

[silkroadgame]

This is really cruel!People who run this Marathon for charity lose his legs in this accident!What's wrong with our world?!

[Josh]

A cruel and horrific act indeed. Sport is one of the things that can unite folks all over the world. Give people a football and forgotten are the petty squabbles, the differences. Give them a fishing rod and they go fishing instead of fighting.
Have you seen the flags waving where the bombs went off, all kinds of flags from *all over the world*, that's what sports does for people, and that's where the terrorist(-s) wanted to strike. Sickening really.
The president says he wants justice, I don't want justice, I want revenge, I want them to burn in hell whoever did this.
 
My thoughts and prayers go to the wounded, and the dead... one of them an 8 year old boy...

[decaro]

ORIGINAL: Capt. Harlock

I am truly sad for the victims, though. I saw some horrific pictures.

Very true. This looks like package bombs: packages, bags or backpacks dropped off in the spectator area ...

Latest reports were ball bearings and nails bundled with pressure cookers filled with explosive, all hidden in backpacks/duffle bags.

The "packages" were probably dropped off along the route after a final bomb sweep of the Finish Line.

[tide1530]

they came out with pictures of the bag on the news this evening.

[decaro]

ORIGINAL: tide1530

they came out with pictures of the bag on the news this evening.

According to the NYT's "Bomb Details Emerge in Boston Inquiry," the Boston bombs were similar to IED's used in Afghanistan as well as the explosives that Times Square bomber Faisal Shahzad tried to detonate.

Shahzad once lived in Bpt, CT, right next to my town of Stratford, and Sikorski Aircraft was on Shahzad's list of secondary targets.

[Jeffrey H.]

There was a guest on Hannity last night who claims that he has sources who tell him the whole "Saudi national" thing is real and that Obama had unscheduled meetings with Saudi representatives last night before flying to Boston. The guest went on to claim that the individual will be deported based on internal security concerns without trial or review.