Two days after bombs exploded at the finish line of the Boston Marathon, killing three and injuring 176, all of the dead have been identified. 8-year-old Martin Richard, 29-year-old Krystle Campbell and 23-year-old Lu Lingzi were killed by the bombs. Each one was in attendance to watch the race near the finish line with family and friends who have survived.
Martin Richard, a Dorchester resident, was watching the finish with his mother and sister, who were also seriously injured in the blast. The family began watching the race near Hereford Street, blocks away from where the bombs went off, reports the Boston Globe. But after an ice cream break, the family found a new spot to watch in Copley Square, next to the bomb that would detonate and kill Martin fifteen minutes later.
Martin's six-year-old sister lost her leg and his mother had a serious brain injury and underwent life-saving surgery. In the wake of the tragedy, a photo spread online depicting Martin Richard holding a hand-made sign in school that reads, "No more hurting people. Peace," apparently after the Trayvon Martin shooting. Over a thousand gathered in a Dorchester playground for a candlelight vigil yesterday evening.
The family of Krystie Campbell were initially told that she was alive. In the confusion immediately following the explosions, doctors reported that she was merely injured, confusing her identity with that of a friend. "“She was a wonderful person," Patty Campbell, Krystie's mother, told the Times. She was sweet and kind and friendly and she was always smiling.”
Campbell worked as a restaurant manager, and attended the marathon every year. A native of Medford, she had recently moved to Arlington after living with her grandmother for two years to care for her after a medical procedure. Her grandmother, Lillian Campbell, said “Every time she comes in the house to see anybody it’s a hug and a kiss, and that’s how she left.”
The third victim, Lu Lingzi, was a Chinese national pursuing a master's degree in Math and Statistics at Boston University. The Chinese consulate confirmed her death today. Lu was standing at the finish line on the day of the race with two friends, one of whom, Zhou Danling, was severely injured and temporarily put in a coma. Many flocked to Lu's Facebook profile following news of her death to express their condolences.
A former neighbor from Lu's home city of Shenyang wrote, ""I saw her grow up, and a few scenes from the past are flashing through my mind. Now, she's becoming a girl, a bit Westernized, but a loud bang has changed everything." The victim's father told ABC News, "This is an extremely painful time for our family. Every time we speak about this, it is like a dagger in our hearts."
