Experience the incredible true events that inspired the film
The Marathon
Boston, Massachusetts
Patriots Day
Monday April 15, 2013
8:30am
Wake up, Boston. It's April 15th, the first day of spring. Temperature is a balmy 48 degrees...
Runners
Spectators
The morning of the 117th Boston Marathon begins like many Spring days in New England - bright, crisp, beautiful. Each year on Patriot's Day, spectators line the 26.2 mile marathon route to celebrate and support their family, friends and neighbors.
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Under Attack
Under Attack
2:49pm
With more than 5,600 runners still in the race, a bomb suddenly detonates near the finish line on Boylston Street. Approximately twelve seconds later, a second bomb detonates within a few hundred yards of the initial blast site.
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First Response
First Response
Marathon Finish Line
At the blast sites, police and first responders scramble to help the wounded and prevent further casualties. Physicians, who are volunteers or bystanders, quickly "red-tag" victims as being critically injured and treat them at the scene.
All medical personnel to the finish line, now!
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Defining it as Terrorism
Defining it as Terrorism
All signs point to terrorism, but there are heavy consquences if they're wrong.
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Command Center
Command Center
Black Falcon Warehouse
Law Enforcement begins collecting and poring through hundreds of thousands of photos and hours of video footage in search of any evidence. For all the technology at their disposal, the breakthrough arrives because an FBI analyst notices something odd in a single piece of video. As the first bomb detonates, all heads turn toward the explosion except for a single individual in a white hat.
The clock is ticking and the world is watching. There's a terrorist loose in our city.
Makeshift headquarters are set up in a cruise ship terminal where FBI analysts pore through videos and photographs.
They identify two male suspects, labelling them as 'White Hat' and 'Black Hat'.
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The Greater Boston Community
The Greater Boston Community
Witnesses from all over Boston send in more than 12,000 tips to try and aid the investigation. The FBI further engage the community by releasing images of the suspects, whose names are still unknown.
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The Next Target
The Next Target
Cambridge, Massachusetts
Thursday April 18, 2013
10:30pm
The evening the suspect photos are released, Sean Collier, an MIT campus police officer, is killed in the line of duty in an attempt to steal his firearm.
Soon after, police receive a call from Dun Meng, a Chinese-American immigrant who has just escaped a carjacking nearby. He informs the police that his carjackers claimed responsibility for the marathon bombings and are on their way to Times Square in New York City, their next target. His courage and will to escape almost certainly prevented a second attack.
The police are able to locate the vehicle which is equipped with a GPS tracking system.
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Watertown Shootout
Watertown Shootout
Watertown, Massachusetts
Friday April 19, 2013
12:50am
Police locate and engage the carjackers in the Boston suburb of Watertown. An intense shootout ensues on Laurel Street. One terrorist is fatally wounded, and the other escapes in the stolen SUV.
We need more backup on Laurel now!
Amid heavy gunfire, the terrorists hurl crude grenades and detonate a pressure cooker bomb, similar to what was used at the marathon site.
The wounded terrorist is identified by his fingerprints as Tamerlan Tsarnaev, known by the police as 'Black Hat'.
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Boston on Lockdown
Boston on Lockdown
A massive manhunt for the second terrorist is launched. Schools, businesses and public transportation are suspended as police conduct door-to-door searches.
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Capture
Capture
Watertown, Massachusetts
Friday April 19, 2013
5:53pm
Over 2,500 law enforcement officials from 116 federal, state and local agencies arrive to assist the manhunt. After 12 hours, a Watertown resident finds the terrorist inside his dry-docked boat and the police take him into custody.
"White Hat" is identified as Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, younger brother to Tamerlan.
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Boston Strong
Boston Strong
The citizens of Boston band together, choosing solidarity over divisiveness in pursuit of a common enemy. Through dedication and individual acts of bravery, the city emerges stronger and more united, proving that love always triumphs over evil.
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Meet the Heroes
True Courage,True Heroes.
Meet the real heroes of Patriots Day.