US PRESIDENT BARACK Obama will attend a religious service today in Boston dedicated to three people killed and more than 170 injured in the attacks on the city’s marathon.
People are already lined up hours ahead of time to get into the city’s Roman Catholic cathedral for the interfaith service.
It’s expected that Obama and his wife, Michelle, will first attend the “Healing Our City” service and then meet with some of those injured, as well as the first responders who rushed toward the blast to help the runners and spectators.
“We send our support and encouragement to people who never expected that they’d need it — the wounded civilians who are just beginning what will be, I’m sure for some of them, a long road to recovery,” Obama said ahead of today’s service
Americans also will be looking to the president to offer reassurances about the nation’s safety as investigators scramble to answer key questions about an attack with origins that are yet unknown.
Police are still stationed on street corners across downtown Boston and some residents admitted they were nervous moving about in public spaces.
Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick said he shared the frustration that the person or people responsible were still at large, but he said solving the case will not “happen by magic”.
It is believe that the bombs were made from ordinary kitchen pressure cookers packed with explosives, nails and ball bearings, investigators and others close to the case said. Investigators suspect the devices were then hidden in black duffel bags and left on the ground.
As a result, they were looking for images of someone lugging a dark, heavy bag. Investigators had appealed to the public to provide videos and photographs from the race finish line.
At least 14 bombing victims, including three children, remain in critical condition. Dozens of victims have been released from hospitals, and officials at three hospitals that treated some of the most seriously injured said they expected all their remaining patients to survive. A 2-year-old boy with a head injury was improving and might go home today, Boston Children’s Hospital said.
Additional reporting AP
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