This could have been really bad. Thankfully the bomb went off before the race started.
I wonder if this bomb was potentially bigger than the one in Boston? Reports say only one part of it went off.
More details. This one delay made all the difference.
It’s trivially easy to plan an explosive device, or to pull out a gun and start shooting people.
I wish we would work harder to prevent this kind of thing from happening. America needs to be tough on this kind of behavior.
We should work harder at turning our culture into one of love, caring, and community. We should exhaust ourselves trying to make all people feel loved and supported, regardless of race, class or creed. Instead of inspiring each other to be afraid and hateful towards others, we should welcome outsiders with open arms.
Because there is no fucking way that the game of ‘tighter security’ or more extreme vetting is ever going to solve this problem.
From the look of the picture at the scenethe single pipe blew up a public trash/recyclables bin. To aceplace57’s question, just as an initial impression with no specific data in hand it would look like the Boston Patriots’ Day were quite more powerful (and more dangerously designed as shrapnel weapons) but a real answer will have to wait for the investigation.
One of the things I hate about news reports is that they never tell you where things take place. I finally found a map showing the explosion site at the corners of D street and Ocean Avenue (right before the beach) in Seaside Park
I used to go there constantly, and stayed a few blocks away from that point. If there had been a lot of spectators watching (the race was delayed, apparently because of a suspicious backpack), and if all the bomb components had gone off, it might have resulted in serious injuries. In the absence of more information, though, it’s impossible to tell. Putting the bomb in a plastic recycling bin, though, might have slowed down or stopped a lot of potential debris.
I guess the bomb maker(s?) are still figuring this out. Only one of them went off at the race.
Then in NY, one out of two went off.
No proof yet if the incidents are connected. The ones at the race were called pipe bombs. NY found a pressure cooker device. Different designs.
Forensics should be easier since they recovered intact bombs from both cities. Fingerprints or DNA may solve these crimes.
So I’m a little confused: someone other than the bomber* claimed the unattended backpack, which was clearly not actually their’s? What’s the deal?!
*Presumably, as (1) the bomber would hardly want it back, and (2) the police aren’t saying they have a rather idiotic bombing suspect in custody. 
The backpack had nothing to do with the bomb. It was coincidently left unattended and delayed the start of the race until it was claimed.
Are you talking about the bomb found in Elizabeth? I’m hearing a couple of homeless guys grabbed it then saw when was in it. They were very lucky.
Ah, clearer now. I had hashed together two separate aspects of the story: (1) backpack was claimed, and (2) someone other than the bomber had the bomb but then gave it to the police once they realized what it was.