Assistance for Victims of the Boston Marathon Bombings

During an informal ceremony, the FBI’s Evidence Response Team handed the crime scene area on Boylston Street back over to the city of Boston. Above, FBI Boston Special Agent in Charge Richard DesLauriers thanks personnel from several federal, state, and local agencies for their tireless work in the case.

Assistance for Victims of the Boston Marathon Bombings

The FBI is the lead law enforcement agency responsible for investigating the bombings at the Boston Marathon on April 15, 2013. Crimes can have a devastating effect on victims and their families who may need assistance coping with the impact. Providing information and assistance to victims of the bombings is an important part of our work.

The FBI is legally mandated to identify victims of federal crimes that it investigates and provide these victims with information, assistance services, and resources. The FBI’s Office for Victim Assistance (OVA) is uniquely suited to provide emergency assistance to victims of domestic and international terrorism and mass violence crimes due to its national and international scope and extensive experience in responding to more than 13,000 victims of these crimes. 

If you were injured or witnessed the Boston Marathon bombings, you may be eligible for certain services and rights, including special funding to provide emergency assistance, crime victim compensation, and counseling. Additional information about these resources can be found at website links listed below. If you have not spoken to an FBI victim specialist, please contact the FBI Office for Victim Assistance atbostonmarathon.victimassistance@ic.fbi.gov or call the FBI Victim Assistance Call Center at 1-800-331-0075. 

Electronic Versions of Key Resources:

• Coping After Terrorism for Injured Survivors | (pdf)
  
• Practical Ideas for Coping with Trauma
• Help for Victims of Crime Brochure | (pdf)
• Description of the Federal Criminal Justice Process

For Children:

• Children and Youth-SAMHSA Disaster Behavioral Health Information Series Installment
• Parent Tips for Helping Preschool-Age Children After Disasters (pdf)
• Parent Tips for Helping School-Age Children After Disasters (pdf)
• Tips for Parents on Media Coverage (pdf)
• After a Crisis: Helping Young Children Heal (pdf)
• Talking to Children About the Bombings (pdf)
• Parent Guidelines for Helping Youth After the Bombings (pdf)

Additional Resources: 

• Massachusetts Crimes Compensation
• Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office
• Massachusetts Office for Victim Assistance

Boston Region Transportation System Shut Down As Law Enforcement Manhunt Continues

From U S Coast Guard Boston

BOSTON - Because of the ongoing manhunt for a person wanted in connection with Monday’s Marathon bombings, all MBTA services (to include buses, the subway, and ferries) have been shut down effective immediately. People should not go to or congregate at transportation stations.

Authorities are advising residents in Watertown, Newton, Waltham, Belmont, Cambridge and the Alston Brighton neighborhoods of Boston to stay indoors. Residents should not answer the door unless it is a police officer, and are advised to stay away from windows. All businesses in these towns will remain closed until further notice. People should not congregate outside.

Residents and businesses should monitor media for further information.

The Coast Guard wishes to reiterate that the mass transit shutdown does include the ferry system in Boston.

BREAKING NEWS: Boston and Surrounding Area On Lock Down!

BOSTON, BELMONT, CAMBRIDGE, NEWTON, WALTHAM  AND WATERTOWN ON LOCKDOWN!

All public transit, trains, buses have been stopped   All businesses are closed.  All people are to stay where they are and lock the doors.  Over 1,000,000 people on lock down!

BREAKING NEWS:Suspect one is dead...suspect two is on the run as law closes in in Watertown Ma.

Suspect one on the right is dead in firefight with police.

Suspect two is on the run in Watertown Ma.

Suspect one is dead...suspect two is on the run as law closes in in Watertown Ma.

BREAKING NEWS: The FBI releases new photos of the Marathon Bombing suspects.

Suspect 2

The FBI releases new photos of the Marathon Bombing suspects.

Suspects Together

To Provide Tips in the Investigation

If you have visual images, video, and/or details regarding the explosions along the Boston Marathon route and elsewhere, submit them on https://bostonmarathontips.fbi.gov. No piece of information or detail is too small. 

Boston Strong National Anthem Video!

Boston Strong, This is what happened at last nights Bruins Game.

Red Cross Response to the Boston Marathon Explosions

WASHINGTON, Tuesday, April 16, 2013 — Our hearts go out to everyone in Boston dealing with this tragedy and our thoughts are with all of those injured.

We understand that people around the country want to help and we appreciate that nationwide show of support. Right now, the Red Cross has what it needs to support this event both financially and with an adequate local blood supply.

In response to the marathon bombings, the Red Cross has provided about 450 additional blood products to several area hospitals to help meet the needs of those injured. At the request of Boston area authorities, the Red Cross is also providing mental health and spiritual care support to the people injured and their families. We will be working in close coordination with officials to determine how else we can best help the community and support emergency workers.

People who may want to provide other support to the Red Cross can consider taking one of these actions:

This tragedy shows that emergencies can happen in any community at any time. While the Red Cross has all it needs to respond to this event, we do need the public’s support to respond to the nearly 70,000 other disasters we handle every year around the country and Boston. If you want to support our work responding to and preparing for future emergencies please make a donation to Red Cross Disaster Relief at redcross.org.
The need for blood is constant. Eligible blood and platelet donors across the country are strongly encouraged to schedule an appointment to give in the days and weeks ahead by calling 1-800-RED CROSS or visiting redcrossblood.org.
Type O negative blood is often used during emergencies, when there is no time to determine the patient’s blood type. It’s especially important that people with type O blood donate as frequently as they can.
Many people in Boston yesterday jumped in to provide immediate help for the victims. Register for a Red Cross First Aid and CPR/AED course at redcross.org so that you can be better prepared to help in future emergencies.
Download the free Red Cross First Aid App which puts free and simple lifesaving information in the hands of smart phone and tablet users. The app is available in the Apple App Store and the Google Play Store.
For those in Boston or have loved ones there, knowing people are safe is the best way to bring peace of mind. It is important for people to connect with one another. People who have access to a computer should go to redcross.org/safeandwell to list themselves as safe. Those in Boston without computer access can text loved ones or call a family member and ask them to register the person on the site.

Watching the events in Boston unfold both on television and social media can be stressful for people and bring up memories of other tragedies.

Events like this can cause feelings of uncertainty and anxiety since no one knows for sure what will happen next. It’s important to remember that it's okay to feel nervous. People should take care of themselves and their families, and for example, can reach out to others to offer and receive support. Parents should let children talk about their fears and then reassure them about their safety. It’s also important for people not to overexpose themselves to media reports about the tragedy.

Boston Update

Boston Update
Doug Mills
World and National News Editor
RCN America Network

BOSTON UPDATE: It is confirmed the there are 3 dead, over 176 injured with 17 of those still in critical condition.  The FBI has taken charge of the investigation and states that there were only the 2 bombs.  There are also reports of a search of an apartment in Revere overnight. Evidence was removed from the residence.

Richard DesLauriers, special agent in charge of the Boston Field Office, addresses the media. 

Remarks given by Special Agent in Charged Richard DesLauriers at press conference.

I would like to start this morning by thanking the first responders from Boston EMS and Boston Fire Department and the volunteer physicians, nurses, and medical staff from the community who volunteered at the marathon. Their services and heroic actions saved lives yesterday afternoon.

We continue to work shoulder-to-shoulder with our JTTF [Joint Terrorism Task Force] partners and the Boston Police Department and the Massachusetts State Police, as well as all of the other JTTF agencies.

Our mission is clear—to bring to justice those responsible for the marathon bombing.

The American public wants answers. The citizens of the city of Boston and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts want and deserve answers. This group of dedicated men and women standing before you today pledge to do everything possible to get those answers.

This remains a very active investigation. Our ongoing investigation in various locations throughout the area goes on. However, there are no known additional threats. We continue to interview various witnesses and process the crime scene, which could take some time. The citizens of Massachusetts and the city of Boston should expect to see the FBI and its JTTF partners conducting investigative activity in the greater Eastern Massachusetts and Boston areas.

Assistance from the public remains critical in establishing a timeline of events, which leads to swift conclusion through due diligence and strong investigative activity.

We commend the public. We commend the citizens of Boston and the citizens of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts for the information that has been provided to law enforcement so far. And we strongly encourage that assistance to continue.

It is paramount to explain the FBI and our JTTF role to a greater extent—the volume of tips we have received and reiterating the resources we provide. We have received voluminous tips over the last 18 hours since the incidents.

We have staffed our 1-800-CALL-FBI tip line and we continue to encourage individuals to contact that line with any additional tips.

We are bringing additional victim assistance and Evidence Response Team resources from our Headquarters components and the field offices to Boston. And they are on site working as we speak, processing evidence at the crime scene.

To the extent the crime scene still plays in Copley perimeter—it continues to be a crime scene and may be that for days.

The FBI JTTF is logically following up on a variety of leads. You will see us and our law enforcement partners interviewing, maybe, your neighbor or co-worker or even yourself in coming days. We encourage you to please cooperate with law enforcement authorities.

The resources of the FBI and the JTTF allow for swift action, which we hope will yield quick results. But that does not diminish our diligence and persistence in combing through the high volume of evidence and leads that we are processing right now. We are just beginning upon that path.

Thank you very much.

BREAKING NEWS: Two explosions at Boston marathon finish line

**BREAKING NEWS**

Boston, Massachusetts - Authorities are investigating a report of two explosions at the finish line of the Boston Marathon.

There were two booms heard from near the finish line inside the Fairmount Copley Plaza Hotel.
Race officials locked down the hotel because of the report.

The sound of two booms, which sounded like thunder, had come a short time earlier.

UPDATE 9:55pm
Officials found 5 more suspect devices, but late Monday said they now doubt the devices were bombs. Wall Street Journal Says

UPDATE 9:26pm
According FOX25 Three people, including an 8-year-old boy, are among the dead following a bombing at the Boston Marathon finish line.


More than 100 people suffered broken or amputated limbs, shrapnel wounds and various other injuries ranging from minor to critical.

The Boston Globe reported that one of the victims was an 8-year-old boy. The boy was not identified.

Officials said the Federal Bureau of Investigation had taken the lead on an investigation into the attack.The special agent in charge of the FBI's Boston office said investigators were treating the investigation as criminal and potentially terrorist.

Boston Police Commissioner Ed Davis said officers were painstakingly searching through bags and debris that had been left behind by fleeing marathon watchers to determine if there were any more explosive devices.


UPDATE 6:34pm
Law enforcement sources tell ABC and CNN that the FBI considers the twin explosions to be the work of terrorists. No arrests have been made. Officials have not given any indication of what triggered the powerful explosions.


Nuclear power plants in Massachusetts and New Hampshire have increased security after two bombs exploded in Boston on Monday, killing at least two people and injuring dozens. The Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station in Plymouth, Mass., and the Seabrook Station in Seabrook, N.H., heightened checks of vehicles, materials and individuals entering the plants.

Pilgrim, about 45 miles south of Boston, was already shut down for refueling when the explosions occurred. Seabrook is about 45 miles north of Boston in Seabrook, N.H.

Eliot Brenner, a spokesman for the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, said federal officials have not ordered changes in security at other U.S. nuclear reactors in the wake of the Boston explosions.

More than 100 reportedly injured.

UPDATE: 6:10pm
57 are currently confirmed injured and the JFK library explosion appears not to be related. President Obama currently doing a  press conference.

UPDATE: : 5:47
President Obama will hold a press conference at 6:10pm.

UPDATE: 5:20pm
Cell phone service in Boston has been shut down.

UPDATE: 4:55pm
Officials say that there has been an explosion at JFK library.

UPDATE: 4:33pm
According to report that there has been two more bombs discovered and are being dismantled.

UPDATED: 4:23pm
NBC News is reporting that a small homemade bomb is the preliminary cause of the explosion -- law enforcement officials tell NBC News.

23 injured and 2 killed at this point in time.

A woman is comforted by a man near a triage tent set up for the Boston Marathon after explosions went off at the 117th Boston Marathon in Boston, Massachusetts April 15, 2013. REUTERS/Jessica Rinaldi

Earlier UPDATES:
UPDATE 3:25pm
BOSTON - Two explosions at the finish line of the Boston Marathon have resulted in injuries.
Bloody spectators were being carried Monday to the medical tent that had been set up to care for fatigued runners. Police wove through competitors as they ran back toward the course.

"There are a lot of people down," said one man, whose bib No. 17528 identified him as Frank Deruyter of North Carolina.

He was not injured, but marathon workers were carrying one woman, who did not appear to be a runner, to the medical area as blood gushed from her leg. A Boston police officer was wheeled from the course with a leg injury that was bleeding.

About three hours after the winners crossed the line, there was a loud explosion on the north side of Boylston Street, just before the photo bridge that marks the finish line.
Another explosion could be heard a few seconds later.

UPDATE 3:33pm

Multiple casualties are reported after at least two explosions were heard near the finish line of the Boston Marathon, according to the Boston Herald.

Witnesses reportedly heard two booms that sounded like two claps of thunder near the finish line inside the Fairmount Copley Plaza Hotel. 

The explosions occurred just before 3 p.m. Video of the scene showed a number of emergency crews in the area tending to victims and blood on the ground near the finish line.

"I saw two explosions. The first one was beyond the finish line. I heard a loud bang and I saw smoke rising," Boston Herald reporter Chris Cassidy, who was running in the marathon, told the newspaper. "I kept running and I heard behind me a loud bang. It looked like it was in a trash can or something...There are people who have been hit with debris, people with bloody foreheads.”

A photographer with Fox affiliate WFXT reported seeing a number of victims with lost limbs.

UPDATE 3:46pm
Competitors and race organizers were crying as they fled the chaos. Bloody spectators were being carried to the medical tent that had been set up to care for fatigued runners.

"There are a lot of people down," said one man, whose bib No. 17528 identified him as Frank Deruyter of North Carolina. He was not injured, but marathon workers were carrying one woman, who did not appear to be a runner, to the medical area as blood gushed from her leg. A Boston police officer was wheeled from the course with a leg injury that was bleeding.

About three hours after the winners crossed the line, there was a loud explosion on the north side of Boylston Street, just before the photo bridge that marks the finish line. Another thunderous explosion could be heard a few seconds later.

Runner Laura McLean of Toronto said she heard two explosions outside the medical tent.

"There are people who are really, really bloody," McLean said. "They were pulling them into the medical tent."

Cherie Falgoust was waiting for her husband, who was running the race.  "I was expecting my husband any minute," she said. "I don't know what this building is ... it just blew. Just a big bomb, a loud boom, and then glass everywhere. Something hit my head. I don't know what it was. I just ducked."

UPDATE 4:11pm
Atleast two killed and 22 injured after explosions at the Boston marathon finish line. 

This story will be updated as information comes available...

Photos Courtesy of Yahoo.com

The President On The Boston Bombings

Megan Slack
The White House

This evening, President Obama made a statement about today’s explosions at the Boston Marathon.

The President explained that he had been briefed by his Homeland Security team, who are continuing to monitor the situation as it unfolds, and had "directed the full resources of the federal government to help state and local authorities protect our people, increase security around the United States as necessary, and investigate what happened."

“The American people will say a prayer for Boston tonight,” he said. “And Michelle and I send our deepest thoughts and prayers to the families of the victims in the wake of this senseless loss.”

We still do not know who did this or why.  And people shouldn’t jump to conclusions before we have all the facts.  But make no mistake -- we will get to the bottom of this.  And we will find out who did this; we'll find out why they did this.  Any responsible individuals, any responsible groups will feel the full weight of justice.
Today is a holiday in Massachusetts -- Patriots’ Day. It’s a day that celebrates the free and fiercely independent spirit that this great American city of Boston has reflected from the  earliest days of our nation. And it’s a day that draws the world to Boston’s streets in a spirit of friendly competition.  Boston is a tough and resilient town. So are its people. I'm supremely confident that Bostonians will pull together, take care of each other, and move forward as one proud city. And as they do, the American people will be with them every single step of the way.
You should anticipate that as we get more information, our teams will provide you briefings. We're still in the investigation stage at this point.  But I just want to reiterate we will find out who did this and we will hold them accountable.