Despite all the reports from classmates and friends that Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, the second suspect in the Boston Marathon bombings, was unlikely to be involved in any sort of extremist activity, new information about the 19-year-old seems to indicate that he and his brother, the now deceased Tamerlan, lived a shocking double life.
According to reports, the elder Tsarnaev’s behavior changed drastically in the last three or four years, and upon returning from an extended trip to Russia in August of 2012, posted multiple videos to his private YouTube page featuring a militant Islamic group in his native Chechnya area, known as Imarat Kavkaz.
However, according to Watertown Police Chief Edward Deveau:
“From what I know right now, these two acted together and alone. I think we have to be ever vigilant, and we’re learning as we go along, but as far as this little cell — this little group — I think we got our guys.”
Meanwhile, his younger brother, Dzhokar, remains unable to speak in the hospital, where he is “intubated and sedated” as new reports reveal he suffered a throat injury during the 24-hour manhunt and shoot-out that occurred between Thursday and Friday, during which it’s now been revealed that pair hijacked a Mercedes, ADMITTED to the driver that they were behind the bombings while hurling explosives at authorities, INCLUDING handguns, riles, and six pressure cooker bombs similar to what they used on Monday.
Given the severity of his actions, Dzhokhar is expected to be formally charged today by a judge at his hospital bedside, both for both federal terrorism – which could result in the death penalty – and state murder charges.
As New York Senator Charles Schumer says:
“Given the facts that I’ve seen, it would be appropriate to use the death penalty in this case and I hope they would apply it in federal court.”
We suppose only time will tell what’s to come next, but we just sincerely hope that all the authorities involved are able to gather as much information from this young man as possible, and use it to ensure that travesties of this scale are prevented in the future.
Our heart stays with during this impossibly difficult time, Boston.
[Image via AP Images.]