More than 150 people were injured and three are dead after multiple explosions detonated during the Boston Marathon in what authorities are calling a “coordinated” terrorist act, reports CNN.
There was pandemonium near the finish line of the beloved marathon as runners and spectators scrambled to get away from the bloody scene after a bomb exploded around 2:50pm. Thirteen seconds later, another bomb detonated a few hundred feet away.
Witnesses describe a chaotic scene that reminded them of prior attacks. “It was very 9-11ish,” runner Tom Buesse told CNN’s Starting Point. Other witnesses recalled seeing runners without legs and torn-apart limbs and blood everywhere.
The trauma from the explosions will inevitably cause some spectators to think twice about attending public events and mass gatherings. As far away as New York, people reported feeling a sense of dread about being in public spaces yesterday as they wondered whether bombs would go off in the subways or densely populated areas like Times Square. If we look at the mass killings that have rocked the nation in the past few months we are reminded that they have all been in public spaces: an elementary school in Newtown, Connecticut and a movie theater in Aurora, Colorado. Interestingly enough, today marks the sixth anniversary of the massacre on the campus at Virginia Tech—another public space.
Do such tragedies make you afraid to be in public? Do you find yourself being more diligent about where you are? Or maybe you just don’t allow it to affect your life. Share your thoughts and comments with us below. [poll id=296756]