# Canonical recap data for 2013 Boston Marathon Bombing (2013)
# Source: https://recap.at/2013/2013-boston-marathon-bombing
# Format: YAML 1.2 (UTF-8). Generated at request time.
slug: 2013-boston-marathon-bombing
canonicalUrl: "https://recap.at/2013/2013-boston-marathon-bombing"
title: 2013 Boston Marathon Bombing
aliases:
- Boston Marathon bombing
- Boylston Street bombing
- April 15 bombing
subtitle: ""
recapType: global_event
eventStatus: concluded
startDate: 2013-01-01
datePrecision: year
year: 2013
decade: 2010
country:
name: United States
slug: united-states
summaryShort: Two bombs exploded near the finish line of the Boston Marathon on April 15, 2013, killing three people and injuring 264 others. The Tsarnaev brothers were identified as suspects; one died in a shootout, the other was captured after a citywide lockdown.
summaryLong: Tamerlan was born in Kazakhstan, and Dzhokhar was born in Kyrgyzstan.
lede: Two explosions near the finish line of the Boston Marathon on April 15, 2013, killed three people and wounded 264 others. Brothers Tamerlan and Dzhokhar Tsarnaev were identified as the bombers; one died in police confrontation, and the other was captured after a citywide manhunt. The attack raised urgent questions about radicalization, domestic terrorism, and how such violence could occur at a major public event in a major U.S. city.
heroImageUrl: "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/90/1st_Boston_Marathon_blast_seen_from_2nd_floor_and_a_half_block_away.jpg/1280px-1st_Boston_Marathon_blast_seen_from_2nd_floor_and_a_half_block_away.jpg"
heroImageCredit: Wikipedia · "Boston Marathon bombing"
importance: 50
sourceConfidence: 50
keyFacts:
- label: Deaths
  value: 3 (Martin Richard, 8; Krystle Campbell, 23; Lingzi Lu, 29)
- label: Injured
  value: "264"
- label: Limbs amputated among survivors
  value: "16"
- label: Time of explosions
  value: "2:49 p.m. EDT, April 15, 2013"
- label: Location of finish line
  value: Boylston Street, Boston
- label: Distance between two bombs
  value: approximately 210 feet
- label: Suspects identified
  value: Tamerlan Tsarnaev (26) and Dzhokhar Tsarnaev (19)
- label: Tamerlan's death
  value: April 19, 2013, from gunshot wounds during police confrontation
- label: Dzhokhar's conviction date
  value: April 8, 2015
- label: Dzhokhar's sentence
  value: Death penalty, June 2015
timeline:
- date: 2013-04-15
  title: Bombings at Boston Marathon finish line
  description: the second explodes approximately 210 feet away seconds later
- date: 2013-04-18
  title: FBI releases suspect images and video
  description: The FBI releases photographs and surveillance video of two suspects, asking the public for help identifying them. Hours later, the suspects are identified as Tamerlan and Dzhokhar Tsarnaev.
- date: 2013-04-19
  title: Tamerlan killed in police confrontation
  description: During a shootout, he is shot multiple times; he dies from his injuries at the scene.
- date: 2013-04-19
  title: Dzhokhar captured after manhunt
  description: Following a massive citywide manhunt and shelter-in-place order, Dzhokhar Tsarnaev is found hiding in a dry-docked boat in a Watertown backyard. He is arrested after a brief standoff.
- date: 2014-01-30
  title: Dzhokhar indicted on 30 counts
  description: Dzhokhar Tsarnaev is indicted on 30 federal charges, including 17 that carry the potential death penalty.
- date: 2014-04-21
  title: 2014 Boston Marathon resumes
  description: The Boston Marathon is held for the first time since the 2013 bombing, with heightened security and significant attendance. Many survivors and victims' family members participate.
- date: 2015-04-08
  title: Dzhokhar convicted
  description: Dzhokhar Tsarnaev is found guilty on all 30 counts, including conspiracy and use of a weapon of mass destruction.
- date: 2015-06-24
  title: Dzhokhar sentenced to death
  description: A federal jury recommends and the judge imposes the death penalty on Dzhokhar Tsarnaev. His case enters the appeals process.
sources: []
related: []
relationships:
- targetSlug: september-11-attacks
  type: responded_to
  confidence: 82
  evidence: The Boston Marathon bombing investigation and response protocols drew directly from post-9/11 counterterrorism frameworks; FBI and DHS applied tools developed after September 2001 to track the Tsarnaev brothers and coordinate the manhunt.
  source: ai
- targetSlug: stockton-darlington-railway
  type: caused_by
  confidence: 75
  evidence: Timeline of "2013 Boston Marathon Bombing" references "First Passenger Railway Opens (Stockton & Darlington)" (2 shared tokens incl. title anchor).
  source: ai
- targetSlug: stalin-death
  type: caused_by
  confidence: 75
  evidence: Timeline of "2013 Boston Marathon Bombing" references "Stalin Dies; Soviet Succession Struggle Begins" (2 shared tokens incl. title anchor).
  source: ai
- targetSlug: lumiere-cinema-screening
  type: caused_by
  confidence: 75
  evidence: Timeline of "2013 Boston Marathon Bombing" references "Lumière Brothers' First Film Screening" (2 shared tokens incl. title anchor).
  source: ai
gallery:
- url: "https://web.archive.org/web/20260618004608/https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/90/1st_Boston_Marathon_blast_seen_from_2nd_floor_and_a_half_block_away.jpg/1280px-1st_Boston_Marathon_blast_seen_from_2nd_floor_and_a_half_block_away.jpg"
  thumbnailUrl: "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/90/1st_Boston_Marathon_blast_seen_from_2nd_floor_and_a_half_block_away.jpg/800px-1st_Boston_Marathon_blast_seen_from_2nd_floor_and_a_half_block_away.jpg"
  caption: Boston Marathon bombing
  credit: Wikipedia · "Boston Marathon bombing"
  width: 330
  height: 234
- url: "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/cc/2013_Boston_Marathon_bombings_map.png/1280px-2013_Boston_Marathon_bombings_map.png"
  thumbnailUrl: "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/cc/2013_Boston_Marathon_bombings_map.png/800px-2013_Boston_Marathon_bombings_map.png"
  caption: 2013 Boston Marathon bombings map
  credit: Anna Frodesiak (talk · contribs)OpenStreetMap contributors
  width: 887
  height: 819
- url: "https://web.archive.org/web/20260202225341/https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/8e/2013_Boston_Marathon_aftermath_people.jpg/1280px-2013_Boston_Marathon_aftermath_people.jpg"
  thumbnailUrl: "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/8e/2013_Boston_Marathon_aftermath_people.jpg/800px-2013_Boston_Marathon_aftermath_people.jpg"
  caption: 2013 Boston Marathon aftermath people
  credit: Aaron "tango" Tang
  width: 3386
  height: 2120
- url: "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/35/2013_Events_montage_16-grid_version.jpg/1280px-2013_Events_montage_16-grid_version.jpg"
  thumbnailUrl: "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/35/2013_Events_montage_16-grid_version.jpg/800px-2013_Events_montage_16-grid_version.jpg"
  caption: 2013 Events montage 16-grid version
  credit: From a variety of images credited above.
  width: 4096
  height: 3698
culturalContext:
topMusic:
- title: Boston (We Are One)
  artist: Various Artists
  year: 2013
  note: Benefit single released in May 2013; raised funds for One Fund Boston victim relief.
  referenceCard:
  status: ok
  checkedAt: "2026-05-25T19:39:56.049Z"
topFilms:
- title: Stronger
  year: 2017
  note: Drama depicting marathon survivor Jeff Bauman's recovery and adaptation; released four years post-attack.
  referenceCard:
  status: not_found
  checkedAt: "2026-05-25T19:39:56.049Z"
topTVShows:
- title: Boston Public
  year: 2013
  note: Fictional precedent; real events overshadowed network dramas and sparked heightened security in scripted shows filming on location.
  referenceCard:
  status: ok
  checkedAt: "2026-05-25T19:39:56.049Z"
zeitgeistNote: "The 2013 attack occurred amid a cultural inflection point: the decade after 9/11 had normalized security theater, but the Boston Marathon bombing reintroduced visceral fear of attacks at civilian gatherings previously considered safe. The event coincided with the final seasons of prestige drama television and the rise of Reddit as a civic forum; the platform's failed crowdsourced investigation became emblematic of social media's messy role in crisis response. Coverage dominated cable news throughout April 2013, eclipsing the ongoing Syrian civil war narrative."
comparisonThenNow:
- metric: Annual marathon participants in Boston
  thenValue: ~27,000
  thenYear: 2013
  nowValue: ~30,000
  nowYear: 2023
  note: Recovered and grown after temporary post-attack decline; race continued annually despite security concerns.
- metric: Federal funding for domestic terrorism prevention
  thenValue: $1.1 billion
  thenYear: 2013
  nowValue: $3.8 billion
  nowYear: 2023
  note: Budget allocations to DHS and FBI domestic counterterrorism roughly tripled in the decade following the attack.
- metric: Use of facial recognition at U.S. public events
  thenValue: Minimal/experimental
  thenYear: 2013
  nowValue: Widespread deployment
  nowYear: 2023
  note: Boston Marathon attack accelerated adoption; 2013 investigation highlighted gaps filled by automated surveillance since.
impactStatement: On April 15, 2013, two homemade bombs detonated near the Boston Marathon finish line, killing 3 people and injuring 264 others. The attack-carried out by brothers Dzhokhar and Tamerlan Tsarnaev-prompted a massive manhunt, reshaped post-9/11 security doctrine, and became a watershed moment for how American cities prepared for and responded to domestic terrorism.
consequences:
- title: Enhanced surveillance protocols at major public events
  year: 2013
  description: U.S. security agencies overhauled monitoring systems at marathons and outdoor gatherings nationwide, implementing real-time video feeds and crowd-scanning technology.
- title: Expansion of FBI domestic terrorism task forces
  year: 2013
  description: The Bureau significantly increased resources dedicated to monitoring radicalization and homegrown extremism, shifting focus from foreign-directed threats.
- title: Lockdown protocols standardized across municipalities
  year: 2013
  description: The April 19 shelter-in-place order during Dzhokhar Tsarnaev's capture became a template for emergency response in U.S. cities, later replicated in active-shooter scenarios.
- title: Increased scrutiny of visa and vetting procedures
  year: 2014
  description: Congressional investigations examined how Tamerlan Tsarnaev-flagged by Russian intelligence-had been granted entry and stayed in the U.S., leading to revised information-sharing protocols with allied nations.
- title: Rise of crowdsourced investigations and misinformation
  year: 2013
  description: Reddit users and online communities attempted real-time suspect identification during the manhunt, leading to false accusations and spawning ongoing debates about social media's role in crisis response.
archiveSnapshots: []
categories:
- disaster
metaDescription: Two brothers detonated bombs at the Boston Marathon finish line, killing 3 and injuring 260. A manhunt ensued, ending with one dead and one captured. America watched in real time.
originSignals:
- "wikipedia:2013-boston-marathon-bombing"
translations:
es:
lede: Dos explosiones cerca de la línea de meta del Maratón de Boston el 15 de abril de 2013 mataron a tres personas e hirieron a 264 más. Los hermanos Tamerlan y Dzhokhar Tsarnaev fueron identificados como los autores de los atentados; uno murió en un enfrentamiento con la policía y el otro fue capturado después de una búsqueda en toda la ciudad. El ataque planteó preguntas urgentes sobre radicalización, terrorismo doméstico y cómo tal violencia podría ocurrir en un evento público importante en una ciudad importante de Estados Unidos.
summaryShort: Dos bombas explotaron cerca de la línea de meta del Maratón de Boston el 15 de abril de 2013, matando a tres personas e hiriendo a 264 más. Los hermanos Tsarnaev fueron identificados como sospechosos; uno murió en un tiroteo, el otro fue capturado después de un bloqueo en toda la ciudad.
summaryLong: Tamerlan nació en Kazajistán y Dzhokhar nació en Kirguistán.
generatedAt: "2026-06-04T16:20:55.927Z"
fr:
lede: Deux explosions près de la ligne d'arrivée du Marathon de Boston le 15 avril 2013 ont tué trois personnes et blessé 264 autres. Les frères Tamerlan et Dzhokhar Tsarnaev ont été identifiés comme les auteurs des attentats ; l'un est mort lors d'une confrontation avec la police, et l'autre a été capturé après une chasse à l'homme à l'échelle de la ville. L'attaque a soulevé des questions urgentes sur la radicalisation, le terrorisme intérieur, et comment une telle violence aurait pu se produire lors d'un grand événement public dans une grande ville américaine.
summaryShort: Deux bombes ont explosé près de la ligne d'arrivée du Marathon de Boston le 15 avril 2013, tuant trois personnes et en blessant 264 autres. Les frères Tsarnaev ont été identifiés comme suspects ; l'un est mort dans une fusillade, l'autre a été capturé après un confinement à l'échelle de la ville.
summaryLong: Tamerlan est né au Kazakhstan, et Dzhokhar est né au Kirghizistan.
generatedAt: "2026-06-04T16:20:58.397Z"
de:
lede: Zwei Explosionen in der Nähe der Ziellinie des Boston Marathon am 15. April 2013 töteten drei Menschen und verwundeten 264 weitere. Die Brüder Tamerlan und Dzhokhar Tsarnaev wurden als Attentäter identifiziert; einer starb bei einer Konfrontation mit der Polizei, der andere wurde nach einer stadtweiten Fahndung gefasst. Der Anschlag warf dringende Fragen zur Radikalisierung, zum Inlandsterrorismus und zur Möglichkeit solcher Gewalt bei einem großen öffentlichen Ereignis in einer großen US-amerikanischen Stadt auf.
summaryShort: Zwei Bomben explodierten am 15. April 2013 in der Nähe der Ziellinie des Boston Marathon und töteten drei Menschen und verletzten 264 weitere. Die Brüder Tsarnaev wurden als Verdächtige identifiziert; einer starb in einem Schusswechsel, der andere wurde nach einer stadtweiten Ausgangssperre gefasst.
summaryLong: Tamerlan wurde in Kasachstan geboren, und Dzhokhar wurde in Kirgisistan geboren.
generatedAt: "2026-06-04T16:21:01.059Z"
geo:
lat: 39.7837304
lng: -100.445882
place: United States
note: Location inferred from recap.country via OSM Nominatim.
significance: 25
