A year after the Boston Marathon bombings, Dzhokar Tsarnaev, 20, has a trial date, marking the first step toward justice for those who lost their lives or loved ones during the terrorist attack.The trial begins Nov. 3 and is expected to last three months. Prosecutors are seeking the death penalty for Tsarnaev, who also faces more than 30 federal charges for his role in the bombings, according to USA Today.
Tsarnaev will plead not guilty. The bombings, which occurred April 15 last year, killed three people and wounded more than 260 others. Tsarnaev and his brother, Tamerlan, now deceased, were the subjects of a national manhunt that ended four days later with police capturing Tsarnaev. Tsarnaev is now being held at the Federal Medical Center in Devens, Mass., where he is isolated from other prisoners.
His only visitors are his legal team; a mental health consultant; and rarely, his immediate family. The Tsarnaev brothers’ attack did not cripple the morale of the city. Boston rallied together after the tragedy, coming together around the slogan “Boston Strong,” as those in the city began to move forward.
“There is the possibility to decrease the likelihood of attacks like these with risk assessment,” Thomas Mockaitis, a DePaul history professor, said. “Those in charge take what they’ve learned from past tragedies to make future events safer, but there is never 100 percent security.”
The risk assessment and review of tragedies lead to increased security at Chicago’s Marathon last year, which took place five months after the tragedy in Boston. To prepare for the Boston Marathon this year, officials traveled to other states and countries to examine precautions taken by officials at those events, according to CNN.
The anniversary of the bombing was marked by speakers like Vice President Joe Biden, Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick, current Boston Mayor Martin Walsh and others to commemorate those who were affected by the tragedy. There was also a wreath-laying service.
“America will never, ever, ever stand down,” Biden said during the ceremony, according to CNN. “We are Boston. We are America. We respond, we endure, we overcome and we own the finish line.”
The Boston Marathon will occur April 21, according to the Boston Athletic Association, which is Patriot’s Day in Massachusetts. Many of the victims intend to return to run the 26.2-mile course to show solidarity with Boston.
“Going back is like an itch you have to scratch. You have to get it done,” Sandi Borgman, a Glen Ellyn, Ill., resident said, according to Denver’s ABC News affiliate. Borgman finished about 30 minutes before the first bomb went off. “You just want to go back and honor those who can’t.”
