Boston’s annual city-wide celebration descended into chaos Monday when two bombs near the Boston Marathon finish line exploded, killing three.
Broadcast and cable news networks in the U.S. along with news shows around the world have been leading broadcasts with coverage of the incident.
STORY: Boston Marathon Bombings: How the Morning Shows Covered
Here is a look at the latest key developments as of early Tuesday:
THE LATEST ON THE VICTIMS:
The death toll continued to stand at three as of early Tuesday morning, according to a variety of news organizations. The victim previously reported as a child has been identified as 8-year-old Martin Richard, whose father was running in the marathon.
A Boston hospital representative said in an update carried by BBC News that others remain in difficult medical conditions.
The exact number of injured people remained unclear. At a live press briefing from Boston’s Westin Hotel on Tuesday, Massachussetts Gov. Deval Patrick said that more than 150 people had received injuries.
POSSIBLE SUSPECTS:
The Associated Press reported that as of late Monday evening, authorities had no suspects in custody.
A Saudi national questioned on Monday is believed to be a university student in Boston and has been cooperating with the FBI, according to the Boston Globe. He told agents that he was not involved in the explosions and simply ran away from them out of fear, the Globe says, confirming earlier reports. “Investigators did not characterize the man as a suspect,” it added.
President Barack Obama, in a brief televised address, said he would put the full resources of the government behind the investigation. “Make no mistake. We will get to the bottom of this and we will find out who did this, and we will find out why they did this,” he said.
Meanwhile, BBC News reported Tuesday that Massachusetts State Police said that a search warrant had been issued for a property in the Boston suburb of Revere. Further details weren’t immediately available. The report reiterated that the FBI has launched a probe described as a “potential terrorist inquiry.”
MORE “SUSPECT DEVICES”
Counterterrorism officials found five additional “suspect devices” on Monday, the Wall Street Journal reported overnight. But it cited a law enforcement official as saying that investigators did not believe the devices, which were being analyzed, were undetonated bombs. In the Tuesday morning briefing, Patrick said no unexploded devices were discovered at the scene.
The New York Times quoted Patrick as saying that Boston would be open for business on Tuesday.
NBA GAME, LONDON MARATHON, MARGARET THATCHER FUNERAL AND OTHER AFFECTED EVENTS:
The NBA has canceled Tuesday’s Boston Celtics game against the Indiana Pacers because of the marathon tragedy, Boston.com reported.
Meanwhile, police presence and security measures have been stepped up in major cities around the world, including London and Paris.
The London police force is reviewing security plans for Wednesday’s funeral of former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, the BBC reported Tuesday morning. Security measures were already a big focus before the Boston bombs, due to the former PM’s contentious legacy.
Meanwhile, as of early Tuesday, the London Marathon was expected to take place as scheduled on Sunday, sports minister Hugh Robertson told the BBC. Organizers confirmed that.
Robertson said London Mayor Boris Johnson was set to meet police chiefs on Tuesday to discuss the situation and security measures. London officials were also waiting for more information from U.S. authorities about the Boston bombs.
Robertson said the London Marathon would only be canceled for security reasons or out of respect for the Boston victims. Discussing security, he said: “We deal with this on a daily basis … so you can have confidence … As of now, there is absolutely no threats … The marathon already had very detailed security plans. We have enormous experience doing this.”
So, while security measures will be reviewed as always in the case of major events, “we will deliver a safe and secure marathon,” he vowed.
Meanwhile, a BBC representative told The Hollywood Reporter that coverage plans for the London Marathon were discussed Tuesday following the Boston bomb detonations. The BBC had previously announced plans for five hours of live coverage of the event. “The BBC will be covering the London Marathon,” the spokeswoman confirmed. “We take staff safety very seriously and are liaising with the relevant authorities. Our thoughts are with those affected by the sad events in Boston.”
DIGITAL MEDIA:
Google-owned YouTube has created a spotlight video page called “Explosions at Boston Marathon.”
Devoted to all video related to the bomb blasts, the page includes Obama’s Monday speech about the tragedy and police press conferences as well as amateur videos from onlookers.
Meanwhile, Twitter has suspended a fake Boston Marathon account promising to raise donations for victims, the CBS TV station in Sacramento reported.
The suspended account, @_BostonMarathon, asked for re-tweets in return for $1 donations to the victims. But the real Boston Marathon Twitter handle is @BostonMarathon, the report said.
Patrick Brzeski contributed to this report.
