What happened to the Boston Marathon Bombers? | Dzhokhar and Tamerlan Tsarnaev 

Boston Marathon Bombers

What did Dzhokhar and Tamerlan Tsarnaev do? 

The Boston Marathon bombing on the 15th of April 2013 shocked the nation to its core. Dzhokhar and Tamerlan Tsarnaev were brothers who planted 2 homemade bombs that detonated close to the finishing line of the race. Three people were killed in the blasts and many more were badly injured. In total, 17 people lost limbs. It was brutal act of domestic terrorism and it led to a big-scale manhunt for the bombers.  


What happened to the Boston Marathon Bombers during the manhunt? 

On the 18th of April 18, the FBI released images of the 2 suspects in the bombing. Later that same day, the Tsarnaev brothers killed a policeman called Sean Collier and went on to commit a carjacking. They then engaged in a shootout with police which resulted in 2 officers being severely injured. Sadly, Dennis Simmonds who was one of the officers injured, died a year later. Tamerlan was shot several times, and his brother Dzhokhar ran him over while escaping in the stolen car. Tamerlan died soon after of his injuries. 

The manhunt for Dzhokhar Tsarnaev continued in the area of Watertown, where locals were told to stay inside. A resident of the Watertown area was shocked to discover Dzhokhar hiding in a boat in his backyard. He called the police and they descended upon the area and shot and wounded Tsarnaev before arresting him on the 19th of April.

Dzhokhar Tsarnaev was questioned after being arrested, and he admitted he and his brother were motivated to commit the attacks because of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. He claimed they weren’t associated with any terrorist groups and acted alone. He was convicted of 30 charges in 2015, which included the use of a weapon of mass destruction and malicious destruction of property resulting in death.

Two months later, Tsarnaev was sentenced to death but the sentence was vacated by the United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit. However, the Supreme Court heard arguments in the case and they upheld the death penalty, reversing the decision of the First Circuit court. 


Where is Dzhokhar Tsarnaev now? 

Dzhokhar Tsarnaev is currently at the supermax prison in Florence, Colorado, known as the “The Alcatraz of the Rockies.” He is 28 years old now. 

He will be sent to Terre Haute in Indiana, when he is ready to be executed, though no date has been set. 

American Manhunt: The Boston Marathon Bombing streamed on Netflix in 2023, and it was a 3-part true crime documentary series detailing the events of that fateful day in 2013. 

Read more: American Manhunt: The Boston Bombing Marathon Bombing Season Review


What do you think of the tragic Boston Marathon Bombing? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.

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