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    Eight-year-old among those killed in marathon explosions

    Family of Martin Richard asks for privacy to grieve

    Emily Senger
    <p>This undated photo provided by Bill Richard, shows his son, Martin Richard, in Boston. Martin Richard, 8, was among the at least three people killed in the explosions, Monday, April 15, 2013, at the finish line of the Boston Marathon. (AP Photo/Bill Richard)</p>

    This undated photo provided by Bill Richard, shows his son, Martin Richard, in Boston. Martin Richard, 8, was among the at least three people killed in the explosions, Monday, April 15, 2013, at the finish line of the Boston Marathon. (AP Photo/Bill Richard)

    More details are emerging about one of the young victims killed in the bomb blasts at the finish line of the Boston Marathon.

    The Boston Globe identified the eight-year-old boy victim as Martin Richard, who was watching runners with his mother and sister at the time of the blast.

    The boy’s father Bill Richard confirmed the death on Tuesday afternoon:

    “My dear son Martin has died from injuries sustained in the attack on Boston. My wife and daughter are both recovering from serious injuries. We thank our family and friends, those we know and those we have never met, for their thoughts and prayers. I ask that you continue to pray for my family as we remember Martin. We also ask for your patience and for privacy as we work to simultaneously grieve and recover.”

    Local television station WHDH says Martin’s mother suffered a brain injury and is recovering from surgery, while his six-year-old sister lost a leg.

    Bill Richard is a community leader in Dorchester, a neighbourhood in Boston, say reports. Mourners reportedly gathered at a Boston restaurant Monday night to remember Martin.

    The Richard’s neighbour, Jane Sherman, told WCVB TV that she didn’t have words to describe what happened to the little boy. “He was always out on a bike, he was playing in the driveway. They are a very close-knit family, and it’s a tragedy.”

    Outside the Richard’s house, a single candle was lit Monday night and someone had written the word “peace” on the sidewalk in white chalk, says WHDH-TV reporter Nancy Chen.

     

     

    Details are also emerging about another family tragedy surrounding two adult brothers who were waiting for a friend to cross the finish line when the blast went off. The brothers, aged 31 and 33, both lost a leg below the knee, their mother told The Boston Globe. “I’d never imagined in my wildest dreams this would ­ever happen,” mother Liz Norden told the paper as she waited outside a Boston hospital to see her boys. The younger son’s girlfriend was also with them and was badly burned in the blast.

    More on the Boston Marathon bombings:

    Editor’s note: An earlier version of this story indicated Martin Richard was waiting for his father to cross the finish line when the bomb went off. The latest reports on whether Bill Richard competed in the marathon are contradictory, so we’ve removed this reference pending confirmation.

    tags:Boston Marathon