# Explosions at Boston Marathon **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [April 15, 2013, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explosions-at-boston-marathon/655781 "2013-04-15T19:16:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2013, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explosions-at-boston-marathon/655781/81 "2013-04-15T20:18:44Z")
> [@Missy2U](#): > > I’m so glad, **tdn** - I hope you’ll hear from the other friend soon. I don’t really have any way to hear about the other one. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2013, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explosions-at-boston-marathon/655781/82 "2013-04-15T20:19:00Z")
> [@Northern\_Piper](#): > > Not likely - pretty hard to target a specific runner. More likely, timed to cause the maximum casualties, since there’s usually a big block of runners who are well behind the winners of the race. > > ☹ I’d say so too. If they timed it too early they might not get anyone at all especially if there was a delay in race start, and if timed a half hour later it would get too few people, considering the elite nature of the Boston Marathon run. ---
**Author:** ![Scarlett67](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scarlett67/32/7387_2.png) [@Scarlett67](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scarlett67)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2013, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explosions-at-boston-marathon/655781/83 "2013-04-15T20:19:18Z")
Several members of our running club are there, as usual. One finished at 4:09 gun time, one minute before the first explosion. We’re worried. ---
**Author:** ![XT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/xt/32/456_2.png) [@XT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/XT)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2013, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explosions-at-boston-marathon/655781/84 "2013-04-15T20:19:30Z")
Whoever it was (and my own guess is home grown assholes of some political bent or another…or, maybe some kids trying to prove you can kill or hurt a bunch of people with something other than a gun), it was a horrible thing to do. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![kittenblue](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ba8739/32.png) [@kittenblue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kittenblue)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2013, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explosions-at-boston-marathon/655781/85 "2013-04-15T20:19:34Z")
> [@kittenblue](#): > > My niece has three friends running. She says she just heard and they are safe. No details from them. her friends told her it happened ten minutes after the last runners crossed. ---
**Author:** ![GrandWino](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grandwino/32/67_2.png) [@GrandWino](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GrandWino)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2013, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explosions-at-boston-marathon/655781/86 "2013-04-15T20:19:39Z")
> [@Debaser](#): > > Blaming the Tea Party for this? Really? That’s just sick. I can’t imagine hating people with different political view than me so much that I jump to assume it’s them when terror attacks happen. It’s tax day and Boston is the location of the original [Tea Party](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boston_Tea_Party). Not that far of a leap to make. Could be anybody for any reason, but this is a reasonable suspicion based on the date/location. ---
**Author:** ![Blkshp](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blkshp/32/7135_2.png) [@Blkshp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blkshp)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2013, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explosions-at-boston-marathon/655781/87 "2013-04-15T20:19:45Z")
> [@ElvisL1ves](#): > > Look up “McVeigh, Timothy”. McVeighs been dead for 11 years. OKC bombing was in 1995. But I can see how all the bombs his ilk have set off since then would make them the first suspects to leap to mind. You might wait till they at least find out the casualties before making ridiculously speculative guesses at responsible parties. ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2013, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explosions-at-boston-marathon/655781/88 "2013-04-15T20:21:12Z")
> [@ElvisL1ves](#): > > That supposition is \*not \*born of simple enmity (and stating that it _is_ is “just sick” :dubious: , as is dismissing political disagreement as simple emotionalism, if you want to take it to the Pit, friend ). No, that supposition comes from our regular experience in this country with anti-government domestic terrorism, combined with the notability of this date. However, I don’t think it’s wise to speculate, because if you’re wrong you’re only giving people who disagree with you more ammuniation to paint you as some hyperpartisan freak, even if you were only speaking statistically and allowing that you might be wrong. If you’re right, you’re not gaining much. ---
**Author:** ![Azeotrope](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/0ea827/32.png) [@Azeotrope](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Azeotrope)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2013, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explosions-at-boston-marathon/655781/89 "2013-04-15T20:21:22Z")
Whatever happened, I hope that everyone who has friends/family in the race/area hears good news from their people soon ::crosses fingers:: ---
**Author:** ![Sparky\_the\_Wonder\_Spirit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/848f3c/32.png) [@Sparky\_the\_Wonder\_Spirit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sparky_the_Wonder_Spirit)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2013, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explosions-at-boston-marathon/655781/90 "2013-04-15T20:22:25Z")
> [@Debaser](#): > > Blaming the Tea Party for this? Really? That’s just sick. I can’t imagine hating people with different political view than me so much that I jump to assume it’s them when terror attacks happen. It’s tax day. It’s Boston. Right wing anti-IRS crazies have a proven history of expressing their feelings with bombs. It’s not the world’s most far-fetched speculation. ---
**Author:** ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2013, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explosions-at-boston-marathon/655781/91 "2013-04-15T20:22:32Z")
Deadspin (the Gawker network sports site) [has an article on this](http://deadspin.com/explosions-reported-at-the-boston-marathon-473008941), which includes the note that the marathon was also honoring the victims of the Newtown massacre, and a screenshot of a tweet claiming AP is reporting that the Newtown families VIP section was right next to an explosion. If this is true, I can’t imagine dealing with that much tragedy in so short a time period. ---
**Author:** ![XT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/xt/32/456_2.png) [@XT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/XT)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2013, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explosions-at-boston-marathon/655781/92 "2013-04-15T20:22:43Z")
The story is obviously evolving, but [CNN](http://www.cnn.com/2013/04/15/us/boston-marathon-explosions/index.html?hpt=hp_t1) now puts the count at 23 injured, 2 dead…and this is the early, minimum numbers. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![Maserschmidt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/maserschmidt/32/18829_2.png) [@Maserschmidt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maserschmidt)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2013, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explosions-at-boston-marathon/655781/93 "2013-04-15T20:23:05Z")
It’s really hard to imagine that on Boylston Street someone was able to drop off two bombs, and not be caught on camera. ---
**Author:** ![Gangster\_Octopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a8b319/32.png) [@Gangster\_Octopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gangster_Octopus)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2013, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explosions-at-boston-marathon/655781/94 "2013-04-15T20:23:24Z")
> [@Ferret\_Herder](#): > > Deadspin (the Gawker network sports site) [has an article on this](http://deadspin.com/explosions-reported-at-the-boston-marathon-473008941), which includes the note that the marathon was also honoring the victims of the Newtown massacre, and a screenshot of a tweet claiming AP is reporting that the Newtown families VIP section was right next to an explosion. If this is true, I can’t imagine dealing with that much tragedy in so short a time period. Fucking hell. ---
**Author:** ![Missy2U](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/3bc359/32.png) [@Missy2U](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Missy2U)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2013, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explosions-at-boston-marathon/655781/95 "2013-04-15T20:23:39Z")
> [@Scarlett67](#): > > Several members of our running club are there, as usual. One finished at 4:09 gun time, one minute before the first explosion. We’re worried. Scarlett, I’m so sorry - it’s horrifying. I hope they’re ok and you hear something soon. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2013, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explosions-at-boston-marathon/655781/96 "2013-04-15T20:24:03Z")
> [@Scarlett67](#): > > One finished at 4:09 gun time They used an air horn this year. No guns, especially not right after the period of silence in memory of the Newtown children. ---
**Author:** ![IvoryTowerDenizen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ivorytowerdenizen/32/17937_2.png) [@IvoryTowerDenizen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IvoryTowerDenizen)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2013, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explosions-at-boston-marathon/655781/97 "2013-04-15T20:24:19Z")
Any confirmation of the JFK Library bombing? My college roommate’s husband was running today. Just saw that he had finished before the bombs went off. ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2013, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explosions-at-boston-marathon/655781/98 "2013-04-15T20:24:47Z")
> [@Northern\_Piper](#): > > Not likely - pretty hard to target a specific runner. More likely, timed to cause the maximum casualties, since there’s usually a big block of runners who are well behind the winners of the race. Actually, the crowds have gone down by that time, there are far fewer folks at the finish line that late into the day. You can walk right up to the finish without dealing with crowds. While there are more runners, there are many fewer spectators. Since the explosions appear to have been on the sidewalk most of the people injured/killed appear to be spectators. ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2013, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explosions-at-boston-marathon/655781/99 "2013-04-15T20:24:54Z")
Two more bombs discovered in Boston. ---
**Author:** ![Maserschmidt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/maserschmidt/32/18829_2.png) [@Maserschmidt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maserschmidt)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2013, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explosions-at-boston-marathon/655781/100 "2013-04-15T20:26:09Z")
> [@IvoryTowerDenizen](#): > > Any confirmation of the JFK Library bombing? . They just reported that it was an electrical fire. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explosions-at-boston-marathon/655781.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explosions-at-boston-marathon/655781.md?page=6)