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Martin Richard's father: 'pray for my family' after Boston marathon bombing Pray for my family, says father of boy, 8, who died in Boston bombings
(35 minutes later)
The eight-year-old boy who was killed in the Boston Marathon bombings has been identified as Martin Richard. Martin Richard was eight years old, enjoying a Patriots' Day holiday outing to watch the Boston marathon with his mother, father, sister and brother when the first bomb exploded. As the Richard family, from the Boston suburb of Dorchester, tried to get away, they were hit by the second blast.
A US congressman who is also a family friend said Martin was killed by the second bomb when the family were attempting to flee the first explosion. His mother and sister were also injured. On Tuesday, Martin was the first of the three people killed by the twin bomb attacks to be identified. His mother, Denise, and six-year-old sister Jane suffered serious wounds in the attack, while his father was hit on the legs by metal fragments and ball bearings. Martin's older brother, Henry, was uninjured.
His father, Bill Richard, who was not injured, released a statement on Tuesday. It read: "My dear son Martin has died from injuries sustained in the attack on Boston," Bill Richard said in a statement released on Tuesday. "My wife and daughter are both recovering from serious injuries.
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 your privacy as we work to simultaneously grieve and recover. Thank you. "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 your privacy as we work to simultaneously grieve and recover. Thank you."
The family live in Dorchester, a suburb around seven miles south of downtown Boston. Bill Richard, an avid runner, would normally have been taking part in the race but had sat out this year's event because of injury.
Staff at Martin's former kindergarten described him as a "loving, caring" child on Tuesday. Stephen Lynch, a US congressman for Massachusetts who has known the family for 25 years, said the Richards had just gone for ice cream and were returning to watch the runners finish the race on Boylston Street when the bombs exploded.
Russ Wilson, regional director at the Pope John Paul II Catholic Academy in Dorchester, told the Guardian that Martin attended the school for pre-kindergarten and kindergarten. "They were looking in the crowd as the runners were coming to see if they could identify some of their friends when the bomb hit," Lynch told the Associated Press.
"He was just a great little kid," Wilson said. "Always a smile, loving, caring, great enthusiasm for school, for learning, a very thoughtful little boy." He added: "Ball bearings are meant as anti-personnel munitions," he said. "They were trying to cause carnage here."
The death has left Dorchester in shock. At the family home on Tuesday, neighbours and friends left flowers and gifts. Candles burned on the front steps, while the word "peace" had been written in chalk.
Neighbour Betty Delorey, 80, said Martin loved to climb the trees and hop the fence outside his home.
"I can just remember his mother calling him, 'Martin!' if he was doing something wrong," she said. "Just a vivacious little kid."
She said: "I'm sick to my stomach. It's hard to say anything, really."
Staff at Martin's former kindergarten described him as a "loving, caring" child. "He was just a great little kid," said Russ Wilson, regional director at the Pope John Paul II Catholic Academy. "Always a smile – loving, caring, great enthusiasm for school, for learning … a very thoughtful little boy."
Martin attended the school between the ages of four and five and left in June 2010. His older brother Henry also went to Pope John Paul II. "It's a tragedy. An absolute tragedy," Wilson said.Martin attended the school between the ages of four and five and left in June 2010. His older brother Henry also went to Pope John Paul II. "It's a tragedy. An absolute tragedy," Wilson said.
US Representative Stephen Lynch, a friend of the family for 25 years, told the Associated Press that they were attempting to get over the race barriers and into the street when the second blast occurred, killing Martin. The boy's mother, Denise, and six-year-old sister, Jane, were badly injured.
Martin's father, Bill and older brother, Henry were not seriously injured. Lynch said doctors removed ball bearings from Bill Richard's leg. "Ball bearings are meant as anti-personnel munitions," he said. "They were trying to cause carnage here."
On Tuesday morning, candles burned on the stoop of the family's single-family home in the city's Dorchester section, and "peace" was written in chalk on the front walkway. A child's bicycle helmet lay overturned on the front lawn.
The family worshiped at St Ann's church in the area. Jay Richards and his daughter Christina (who are not related to the Richard family) walked up to the church hand-in-hand on Tuesday. Christina had taken her first holy communion with Martin at the church last year.The family worshiped at St Ann's church in the area. Jay Richards and his daughter Christina (who are not related to the Richard family) walked up to the church hand-in-hand on Tuesday. Christina had taken her first holy communion with Martin at the church last year.
"It's very sad. You never know how these things are going to affect you. This is certainly affecting us today," Jay Richards said."It's very sad. You never know how these things are going to affect you. This is certainly affecting us today," Jay Richards said.
Christina took religious education classes at the church with Martin each week, Richards said. He said the Richard family were "nice people, just like anyone else in the community".Christina took religious education classes at the church with Martin each week, Richards said. He said the Richard family were "nice people, just like anyone else in the community".
The Richards sat for a while beside a statue next to the church before walking away. Another of the victims was identified on Tuesday afternoon as Krystle Campbell, 29, from Medford, Massachusetts.
Her father William told Yahoo News that she was at the finish line to cheer on her boyfriend, who was running in the marathon.
"My daughter was the most loveable girl," said Mr Campbell. "She helped everybody, and I'm just so shocked right now. We're just devastated."
In a statement on its Facebook page, the Summer Shack seafood restaurant where Campbell worked said: "The Summer Shack family is devastated by the loss of our beloved Krystle. No words can describe how much she meant to all of us.
"She was an incredible woman, always full of energy and hard at work, but never too tired to share her love and a smile with everyone. She was an inspiration to all of us. Please keep her and her family in your thoughts and prayers."
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