Police said an 8-year-old boy who was waiting for his father to finish the race was among the people killed when two bombs exploded near the finish line of the Boston Marathon. The boy's mother and sister were also reportedly injured.

CNN and other news organizations identified the boy as Martin Richard.

Boston TV station WHDH said Martin was a third-grader from Dorchester, Mass.

His mother was hospitalized with brain injury from the blast, while his 6-year-old sister lost a leg, according to the station.

Martin's parents were identified as William and Denise Richard.

“They are beloved by this community," City Councilor  Ayanna Pressley told the Boston Globe at a gathering at a local restaurant. "They contribute in many ways. That’s why you see this outpouring. It’s surreal, it’s tragic, it’s incomprehensible. Everyone here tonight is trying to comfort one another and be prayerful.”

About the Author

Keep Reading

Cox Enterprises CEO Alex Taylor and AJC Publisher Andrew Morse were joined by AJC editors and Atlanta business react during the ribbon-cutting ceremony at the Atlanta Journal-Constitution in Midtown on Friday, January 24, 2025.
(Miguel Martinez/AJC)

Credit: Miguel Martinez-Jimenez

Featured

Austin Walters died from an overdose in 2021 after taking a Xanax pill laced with fentanyl, his father said. A new law named after Austin and aimed at preventing deaths from fentanyl has resulted in its first convictions in Georgia, prosecutors said. (Family photo)

Credit: Family photo