The Boston Marathon is the oldest annual marathon in the world. It’s a time when the entire city and surrounding areas come together to cheer and celebrate those who train for months (sometimes longer) to run the streets of Boston and enjoy a tremendous sense of accomplishment once they cross the finish line. But the Boston Marathon will now forever be linked to one fateful day in April 2013 when two bombs exploded near the finish line. The bombs killed several people, injured many others and caused mass chaos.
Just before the 10th anniversary of the event, the poignant story is presented in a three-part series America’s Chase: The Boston Marathon Bombingsone of the newest additions to Netflix in April 2023. American pursuit is as much a love letter to Boston and its citizens who came together in a time of crisis as it is a retelling of the hunt and capture of two extremely dangerous, radical young men.
Anyone who has followed the story closely knows the key facts and moments in time that led to the capture of the bomber. But several revelations in the series, provided by first-hand statements from police, victims and journalists, will stir strong emotions; some might even be surprising.
A citizen’s photo helped identify one of the bombers
Image used with permission of the copyright holder
As police combed through hundreds of thousands of photos and videos submitted by marathon onlookers, along with CCTV footage from nearby local businesses, they could find nothing suspicious in any of them. A citizen said he has photos from across the street, taken just before the bomb exploded, the first major breakthrough in the case.
Their photo clearly showed a black bag on the ground exactly where the second bomb went off. At the same time, police called up the restaurant’s video surveillance footage and were able to see the young man, whom they called “the white hat,” walk up and drop the bag. When the first bomb went off and everyone looked towards it, he looked the other way and quickly walked in the opposite direction. From there, they were able to trace his movements backwards using footage from other companies, eventually discovering the second bomber, whom they called “the black hat”.
The moving story of Danny Meng
Image used with permission of the copyright holder
Fans have heard and seen interviews with Danny Meng, the man who was carjacked by brothers Tamerlan and Dzhokhar Tsarnaev and caught by the police at night. However, recalling the events 10 years later shows how emotional Meng still is about it. A law enforcement officer who appears in the series calls him one of the most important people in the case, and Meng and his valiant efforts help them find the two men.
Interestingly, Meng’s love of cars also played a major role. When Meng decided to escape from his car, hide and call 911, he saved himself. The Tsarnaevs were long gone when the police arrived. But Meng knew the code to his vehicle’s GPS tracking system by heart, which meant police were able to track down the car and the two men inside almost immediately. Most frightening, however, is Meng’s realization that he probably wouldn’t be alive today if he hadn’t made that decision to run.
The bombers could have been identified earlier
Image used with permission of the copyright holder
There are several reasons why the bombers could have been identified earlier than they were. The FBI had previously received reports from the Federal Security Service (FSB), Russia’s intelligence agency, indicating that Tamerlan Tsarnaev had expressed sentiments they allegedly believed could be linked to potential terrorist behavior. The FBI investigated it. but I did not believe that there was any evidence to suggest that Tamerlane would do anything.
Additionally, when the grainy photos were released to the public, one of Dzhokhar’s high school friends, Youssef Eddafali, said he received a call from another mutual friend who noticed the resemblance and suspected Dzhokhar might be the man in the “white hat.” Eddafali did not want to believe that it could be a friend he knew.
It was later revealed that Dzhokhar’s college roommates also noticed a resemblance between the “white hat” bomber and Dzhokhar. They then discarded the bomb-making kit found in the apartment so the police wouldn’t find it. Although they are not suspected of involvement in the bombings, the men have been charged with obstruction of justice.
Dzhokhar showed no signs of being a radical
Image used with permission of the copyright holder
In situations like this, people often wonder how others didn’t know. Many close to Tamerlan said they knew of his passionate, radicalized beliefs (although they never suspected he was a terrorist). With Dzhokhar, it was the complete opposite.
He was described as a charming, kind, athletic boy who had tons of friends at school. He was passionate about wrestling, was on the basketball team, and even worked as a lifeguard. A former high school teacher said he even tried to engage Dzhokhar in conversations about social justice issues while he was a student there, but Dzhokhar showed no interest in politics. “He gave no indication that he was the least bit political,” the teacher recalls, repeating that he never saw the young man as an ideologue or a militant.
Eddafali adds that until he saw Dzhokhar at the mosque the weekend after they met, he didn’t even know he was Muslim. “I [initially] thought he was just a white kid from Boston,” he said.
It was incredibly difficult to find Dzhokhar
Image used with permission of the copyright holder
Those who watched the news and followed the story know that the search for Dzhokhar is ongoing after Tamerlan’s death. They also know how long it took and where the young man was eventually found: in a boat parked at the owner’s house next door. But American pursuit presents an interesting footage and timeline of events that questions why it took so long, especially with police officers involved from all sides, to locate a single man. This is especially so when one considers that the streets were bare; all were initially ordered to remain locked in their homes.
What makes it even more puzzling is that the boathouse where Dzhokhar allegedly hid for 18 hours was just a block away from where he left his car. However, no one found him, nor noticed the boat or the blood on it. It’s shocking that, with so much police presence, empty streets and officers searching yards and garages, no one found him earlier.
Stream America’s Chase: The Boston Marathon Bombings on Netflix from April 12.
Editor’s recommendations
Categories: GAMING
Source: newstars.edu.vn