10 years from the Boston Marathon bombing

Marc Fucarile was the last of the Boston Marathon bombing survivors to get out of the hospital, 100 days later after April 15, 2013. His injuries required several surgeries, and doctors told him he had the most severe burns of all the survivors. Despite not being fully recovered, he attended a court hearing for Dzhokhar Tsarnev, one of the people responsible for the domestic terrorist attack. On his attendance he said he was there “to be there for the ones we lost, the ones who can’t be there.”

He was referring to the three victims who lost their lives in the attack that occurred exactly 10 years ago: Krystle Marie Campbell, a 29-year-old restaurant manager from Medford, Massachusetts, who was killed by the first bomb planted by the perpetrators; Lü Lingzi, a 23-year-old Chinese national and Boston University statistics graduate student from Shenyang, Liaoning; and 8-year-old Martin William Richard from the Dorchester neighborhood of Boston. The latter two were killed by the second bomb.

Sean Allen Collier was another victim. The 27-year-old MIT police officer who had been with the Somerville Auxiliary Police Department years prior, was shot and killed by the bombers as he sat in his patrol car three days later, on April 18. The last of the victims who lost their lives was Boston Police Department officer Dennis Simmonds, who died from head injuries he received during the Watertown shootout as authorities tried to capture the bombers.

Fucarile was just one of more than 280 civilians who were injured and treated at 27 local hospitals. Many of them had lower leg injuries and shrapnel wounds. At least 16 lost limbs, at the scene or by amputation, with some of them losing more than one limb. Fucarile lost his right leg.

The bombing

The 117th annual Boston Marathon was run on Patriots’ Day, April 15, 2013. At 2:29 p.m., two bombs detonated about 2,010 yards apart at the finish line on Boylston Street near Copley Square. This was nearly three hours after the winning runner crossed the finish line, but there were still more than 5,700 runners in the race.

The bombs were constructed from pressure cookers filled with explosives, shrapnel, and other materials, and were placed in backpacks. They were then placed on the ground and detonated remotely using cell phones.

The perpetrators were brothers Tamerlan and Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, of Chechen descent, who were identified thanks to a description given by Jeff Bauman, who lost both legs during the bombing.

Three days later, on April 18, at 5:20 p.m., the FBI released images of the two suspects, starting a manhunt and asking the public’s help in identifying them. At 10:48 p.m., the attackers shot Sean Collier of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Police Department six times while trying to steal his gun.

On April 19, after midnight, Watertown police officer Joseph Reynolds identified the brothers in a Honda Civic and a stolen Mercedes-Benz SUV, and started following them, which resulted in a shootout. Tamerlan Tsarnaev stepped out of the Mercedes and opened fire on Officer Reynolds and Sergeant John MacLellan. Additional officers responded to the fire. The suspects shot several times, detonated another bomb and threw five grenades, three of which exploded.

The shootout lasted nearly seven minutes, until Tamerlan ran out of ammunition. Watertown PD Sergeant Jeffrey Pugliese managed to tackle him with assistance from Sergeant MacLellan.

Dzhokhar drove the SUV toward his brother, accidentally running him over and dragging him a short distance. Then he abandoned the car and fled on foot. Tamerlan was taken into custody badly wounded and died at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center at 1:35 a.m. More than 15 officers were injured during the shootout. Records found on the Honda left at the scene helped identify them.

The shootout was followed by an extensive search for Dzhokhar in Watertown, Massachusetts. The FBI worked alongside different departments, being the first major field test of the interagency task forces created in the wake of the September 11 attacks. On the evening of April 19, David Henneberry, a Watertown resident, saw a body lying in a pool of blood inside his parked boat, and contacted the authorities. Tsarnaev was arrested at 8:42 p.m., and taken to Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in critical condition.

On April 22, 2013, formal criminal charges were brought against Tsarnaev, who at the time was a student at University of Massachusetts Dartmouth. During questioning, he said that he and his brother were motivated by the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and that they were self-radicalized and unconnected to any outside terrorist group. On April 8, 2015, he was convicted of 30 charges, including use of a weapon of mass destruction and malicious destruction of property resulting in death. Two months later, he was sentenced to death.

Currently, Marc Fucarile — who now competes on hand cycle and practice other sports — works as a keynote speaker, workshop leader and mentor, collaborating with several organizations. This year, which marks the 10-year anniversary of the bombings, he’s raising money for the 2023 Boston Marathon Team. “I want to thank all those that have supported the survivors throughout the years and show everyone that, because of their help, we are still Boston Strong. Thank you for supporting my fundraiser,” he said on the foundation website.

One Boston Day

Two years after the Boston Marathon Bombings, then Mayor Marty Walsh established “One Boston Day” as a permanent holiday on April 15th, the day of the bombings. This holiday is dedicated to carrying out random acts of kindness and supporting others. Each year people participate in donations for several organizations, donating money or clothes.

The city of Boston marks 10 years since the marathon bombings

Michelle Wu, mayor of Boston announced a series of activities which will serve to commemorate the events of April 15, 2013. “Every year we come together on One Boston Day to remember the courage, strength, and resilience shown by our city’s people in 2013,” Wu said in a statement. “As we mark 10 years, we will gather together in community on April 15 to remember the lives that were lost, the many injured, and the spirit of humanity displayed that day. As we honor those forever impacted, people in all corners of our City will be giving back in a number of ways, and I encourage everyone to get involved.”

After the Boston Marathon, Boylston Street will be opened between Dartmouth and Fairfield Streets for the public to visit the memorial sites. Later, they will be able to join members of the One Fund Community Governor Maura Healey, Mayor Wu, first responders, hospital leaders, BAA leadership, and local running groups for the dedication of the commemorative finish line and the unveiling of a One Boston Day marker on Boylston Street. A full list of service events has been published on the City of Boston website.

The Boston Red Sox will also mark the anniversary of the bombing with events around their series against the Angels of Los Angeles. Ahead of Saturday’s 4:10 p.m. game, there will be a special pregame ceremony commemorating One Boston Day. Fans are asked to be in their seats by 3:30 p.m.

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