Three people were killed and 176 were injured after two explosive devices detonated at the Boston Marathon on Monday. Boston Police Commissioner Edward Davis updated the statistic at a joint press conference held Tuesday morning.
Representatives from the various law enforcement agencies would not specify that a "suspect" had yet been named, but many outlets reported a "person of interest" being held at a local hospital for burns and shrapnel injuries.
Early Tuesday, an apartment allegedly belonging to a Saudi national believed to be about 20 years old in the United States on a student visa was searched in the Boston suburb of Revere, Mass. Davis' department would only label the Saudi student as a "lead" and not a suspect at this time.
Agents from the FBI removed trash bags full of items from the Saudi's apartment during the search. The "person of interest" was allegedly seen on videotape in the area of Copley Square, near the Boston Marathon's finish line, sometime prior to the bombing.
The New York Post was the first to break the story Monday afternoon regarding the person of interest being held following the bombing. However, officials shied away from officially confirming the person existed. FBI Special Agent Rick DesLauriers said during the press conference that speculation and reporting to the press in detail specifics such as the naming of any suspect could possibly "compromise the investigation" into the Boston Marathon bombings.
In light of the fact no suspect has officially been named, DesLauriers, Davis and Massachusetts State Police Supt. Timothy Alben stressed repeatedly that anyone with any photos or video of the marathon whatsoever should submit copies to law enforcement. All three said any minor detail could lead to a major break unbeknownst to the citizen submitting the images.
On the subject of the Saudi national under supervision at Brigham & Women's Hospital in Boston, former FBI Agent Donald Borelli told MSNBC that in an act such as terrorism, their Miranda Rights would be able to be legitimately waived.
"If a very strong suspect is picked up, or someone who could provide very significant information, I think that decision could be discussed," Borelli told Chris Hayes.
A representative for the Taliban's Pakistani branch, Ehsanullah Ehsan, said that his group was not responsible for the bombing attacks. Normally, in somewhat of a strange fashion, terrorist groups and other similar organizations will claim responsibility for attacks that were not their doing.
When Faisal Shahzad, a Pakistani-born man then living in Connecticut, attempted to explode a car bomb in front of the W.T. Grant building near West 45 Street and Broadway in Times Square in 2010, he was found to have ties to the Pakistani Taliban. Shahzad's bomb setup failed to detonate and street vendors alerted the NYPD to strange smoke emitting from what was found to be Shahzad's car. He was detained by authorities while trying to board a flight at John F. Kennedy International Airport in Queens, N.Y.
No specific information, even the gender, of the individual being monitored at the Boston hospital is known to the public at this time. So it is not known what terrorist group, if any is tied to the Boston Marathon bombing.
Also, early reports of multiple unexploded devices were found to be exaggerated. "We have explosive specialists on scene," said Gene Marquez of the ATF, "[the] rumors of 7 devices [are] not true," he said, noting only two additional explosives were found and deactivated. DesLauriers noted that though there were no official suspects, "we are interviewing a variety of witnesses at a variety of locations." "We will go to the ends of the Earth to [find who executed] this despicable crime," he said.
In reaction to the bombing, numerous officials have asked for Americans to both grieve for the victims but to live life as usual. "We can't stop life as we know it. Otherwise, these people win," former Mayor Rudolph Giuliani, R-N.Y.C., told CBS's Charlie Rose.
"We know our heroes," said Mayor Tom Menino, D-Boston, "Boston will overcome."
During the press conference, Davis praised the immediate assistance from law enforcement nationwide.
"[We have] units from Chicago ... New York City and Baltimore" assisting in the investigation here in Boston, he said.
Gov. Deval Patrick, D-Mass., called the work of the first responders "extraordinary."
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