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Videos Said to Show Clear Images of 2 Bombing Suspects Videos Said to Show Clear Images of 2 Bombing Suspects
(about 1 hour later)
BOSTON — As Boston prepared to mourn the victims of the marathon bombings at an interfaith service with President Obama on Thursday morning, investigators had found clear video images of two separate suspects carrying black bags, one at each explosion site, a person briefed on the investigation said. BOSTON — President Obama arrived in Boston on Thursday morning to address the mourners of the victims of the marathon bombings at an interfaith service, as investigators focused on video images that they hoped would help them capture those who were behind the attacks.
Crime scene investigators recovered shredded portions of a black backpack at the scene of one blast that they believe carried explosives, the person briefed on the investigation said, and they were able to determine the brand and model of the bag. The backpack carried by at least one of the men in the videos appeared to be similar, the person said. Investigators have found clear video images of two potential suspects carrying black bags, one at the site of each explosion, a person briefed on the investigation said. The men appeared to capture the interest of law-enforcement officials because of their bags: crime scene investigators recovered portions of a shredded black backpack that they believe carried explosives, the person said, and they were able to determine the brand and model of the bag. The backpack carried by at least one of the men seen in the videos appeared to be similar, the person said.
Law-enforcement officials had not yet decided whether the authorities will release the images and appeal to the public for help, but the person said it was “more likely than not” that they would. In Washington, Janet Napolitano, the secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, addressed the attacks, telling a Congressional committee that the authorities were seeking to speak with two men spotted in video footage. “There is some video that raised questions” about the men, said Ms. Napolitano, who added that she would not call them suspects. Ms. Napolitano was testifying before the House Homeland Security committee about the department’s 2014 budget.
The images were discovered as investigators pored over scores of videos and photographs from surveillance cameras from nearby businesses on both sides of Boylston Street, where the bombs exploded Monday, as well as smart-phone video and pictures and footage from television crews who were there filming the Boston Marathon when the deadly blasts went off on Monday near the finish line. President Obama arrived at the service at Boston’s Cathedral of the Holy Cross shortly before 11 a.m. He was scheduled to make remarks, along with Mayor Thomas M. Menino of Boston and Gov. Deval L. Patrick of Massachusetts. Mitt Romney, the former governor of Massachusetts and Mr. Obama’s rival in last year’s presidential election, was at the service as well.
As law-enforcement officials made preparations for the president’s arrival in a week of heightened security measures across the country — and city officials warned of road closures, parking restrictions and traffic delays — Bostonians shaken by Monday afternoon’s deadly blasts turned their thoughts to the three people who were killed and the more than 170 who were injured, including many who lost their legs.
Consoling a shaken public has become one of the jobs of American presidents in recent years, from the eulogy President Bill Clinton delivered at the Oklahoma City State Fair Arena after the deadly bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building there in 1995 to President George W. Bush’s trip to see the rescue workers at the smoldering ruins of the World Trade Center a few days after the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, to the eulogies that President Obama has delivered after mass shootings in Tucson and, just months ago, Newtown, Conn.Consoling a shaken public has become one of the jobs of American presidents in recent years, from the eulogy President Bill Clinton delivered at the Oklahoma City State Fair Arena after the deadly bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building there in 1995 to President George W. Bush’s trip to see the rescue workers at the smoldering ruins of the World Trade Center a few days after the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, to the eulogies that President Obama has delivered after mass shootings in Tucson and, just months ago, Newtown, Conn.
Thursday’s service was scheduled for 11 a.m. at the city’s Cathedral of the Holy Cross, and was set to include remarks by President Obama, Mayor Thomas M. Menino of Boston and Gov. Deval L. Patrick of Massachusetts, as well as prayers from religious leaders and a musical selection by Yo-Yo Ma. At a Senate hearing Thursday morning, the nation’s top intelligence official, James R. Clapper Jr., echoed President Obama’s comments earlier this week that the authorities still do not know whether the attack was a foreign or domestic plot, carried out by one or more individuals or a group.
The service was open to the public, with tickets being distributed on a first-come, first-served basis, and people began lining up early Thursday morning for a seat. Security was intense, with metal detectors and bag searches. Law-enforcement officials said that they had not yet decided whether the authorities will release the video images of the two men and appeal to the public for help, but the person briefed on the investigation said that it was “more likely than not” that they would. Doing so would have advantages and drawbacks. While it could help investigators locate them, it could also alert them that they are being sought — and potentially lead to hundreds of false sightings that could eat up the time of law-enforcement officers.
The three people killed in the blasts represented a cross-section of Boston, brought together seemingly at random to watch one of the city’s proud traditions, the 117th marathon. There was Lu Lingzi, 23, from China, a graduate student at Boston University and one of the thousands of international students drawn to the area’s universities. There was Martin Richard, a vivacious 8-year-old third grader from a well-loved family in Dorchester, a tightknit community. And there was Krystle Campbell, 29, of Arlington, Mass., a woman known for her sense of humor who had started working at restaurants as a waitress in high school and worked as a restaurant manager.The three people killed in the blasts represented a cross-section of Boston, brought together seemingly at random to watch one of the city’s proud traditions, the 117th marathon. There was Lu Lingzi, 23, from China, a graduate student at Boston University and one of the thousands of international students drawn to the area’s universities. There was Martin Richard, a vivacious 8-year-old third grader from a well-loved family in Dorchester, a tightknit community. And there was Krystle Campbell, 29, of Arlington, Mass., a woman known for her sense of humor who had started working at restaurants as a waitress in high school and worked as a restaurant manager.
The investigation continued, meanwhile, as F.B.I. personnel studied video clips that showed a man they believe may have played a role in planting the explosives. The videos also showed at least a handful of others whom the authorities want to question, either because of what they appear to be doing in the video or their proximity to the blasts, a senior law enforcement official said. If investigators in Boston can find a facial image of sufficient quality from the videos, it could provide a powerful lead. The F.B.I. has been working for several years to create a facial recognition program, and the video of a suspect or suspects could be matched against the bureau’s database of mug shots of about 12 million people who have been arrested, officials said.
The official said the authorities were trying to boil down the number of people of interest in the videos and would then decide whether to ask the public’s help in locating them.
“It’s a crowd, there are a lot of different angles. It is not like some television-produced video — there’s a lot that isn’t clear,” said the official. “But most interpretations support the notion that one man is seen dropping a bag.”
The official added: “There are several videos with people in them, and we’re looking to talk to more than one guy. It’s still very squishy but there are a lot of interesting people” the authorities want to talk to.
If investigators in Boston can find a facial image of sufficient quality from the videos, it could provide a powerful lead.
The F.B.I. has been working for several years to create a facial recognition program, and the video of a suspect or suspects could be matched against the bureau’s database of mug shots of about 12 million people who have been arrested, officials said.
If there is no match, investigators can hunt for the suspects’ images in the voluminous videos and photographs from the bombing site that were submitted by members of the public in response to an F.B.I. appeal. That is still a technically difficult task, because the software is most accurate with head-on facial images and can be thrown off even by a smile, specialists said on Wednesday.If there is no match, investigators can hunt for the suspects’ images in the voluminous videos and photographs from the bombing site that were submitted by members of the public in response to an F.B.I. appeal. That is still a technically difficult task, because the software is most accurate with head-on facial images and can be thrown off even by a smile, specialists said on Wednesday.
Still, “it’s vastly superior to just watching the video,” said Al Shipp, chief executive of 3VR Inc., a company that sells video analytics software. “You can sort through years of video in seconds. That’s the game changer.”Still, “it’s vastly superior to just watching the video,” said Al Shipp, chief executive of 3VR Inc., a company that sells video analytics software. “You can sort through years of video in seconds. That’s the game changer.”
By piecing together more images of suspects and their movements, the F.B.I. might be able to come up with a name. Even without a name, Mr. Shipp said, investigators could program multiple cameras at airports and elsewhere with the suspects’ images so the cameras would send an alert to them if someone resembling a suspect passed by.By piecing together more images of suspects and their movements, the F.B.I. might be able to come up with a name. Even without a name, Mr. Shipp said, investigators could program multiple cameras at airports and elsewhere with the suspects’ images so the cameras would send an alert to them if someone resembling a suspect passed by.
While investigators have focused on the images of the possible suspect, they are continuing to pursue a broad range of other avenues, one law enforcement official said.While investigators have focused on the images of the possible suspect, they are continuing to pursue a broad range of other avenues, one law enforcement official said.
“We try not to get tunnel vision about it,” the official said, adding, “we’re working a lot of other possibilities.”“We try not to get tunnel vision about it,” the official said, adding, “we’re working a lot of other possibilities.”
Dan L. Vogel, a retired F.B.I. agent and former profiler for the bureau, said that if a suspect is not identified quickly, investigators might put the security video images of the suspect or suspects out to the public in the hope that someone would recognize them. “The only reason not to put it out is they’ll get so many calls that it will take a huge amount of time away from the investigation,” Mr. Vogel said.
Appealing to the public would most likely put more pressure on the suspect. “He’d get nervous and turn himself in, or he could go to ground,” said Philip Mudd, a former senior C.I.A. and F.B.I. official. “But having several million people looking for him outweighs any downside.”

Katharine Q. Seelye reported from Boston, and Michael Cooper from New York. Reporting was contributed by John Eligon, Richard A. Oppel Jr. and Jess Bidgood from Boston; William K. Rashbaum from New York; and Scott Shane, Michael S. Schmidt and Eric Schmitt from Washington.

Katharine Q. Seelye reported from Boston, and Michael Cooper from New York. Reporting was contributed by John Eligon, Richard A. Oppel Jr. and Jess Bidgood from Boston; William K. Rashbaum from New York; and Scott Shane, Michael S. Schmidt and Eric Schmitt from Washington.