By Carla Babb – WASHINGTON — The two men identified by U.S. law enforcement officials as suspects in Monday’s Boston Marathon are brothers: 19-year-old Dzhokhar Tsarnaev and 26-year-old Tamerlan Tsarnaev.
Who are Tamerlan and Dzhokhar Tsarnaev? Both lived near Boston and are of Chechen origin. Friends described them as smart and athletic. The youngest, Dzokhar was a wrestler.
The oldest, Tamerlan, a boxer. Officials say Tamerlan died from wounds received in an overnight shootout with police.
Dzhokhar, wearing a white hat in this image taken near the marathon bombings, is on the run.
Ruslan Tsarni said he is the suspects’ uncle. “I’ve been following it from day one but never ever imagined that somehow the children of my brother would be associated with that,” said Tsarni.
Monday’s twin bombings near the finish line of the Boston Marathon wounded more than 170 people and killed three: restaurant manager Krystle Campbell, Boston University student Lu Lingzi and eight-year old Martin Richard.
Tsarni said his brother had little influence over the two boys and that they have shamed what he called “the Chechen ethnicity.” He characterized them as…
“Being losers, and not being able to settle themselves and thereby just hating everyone who did.”
Dzhokhar’s Twitter account was active after the bombing. Here, someone identified as Dzhokhar writes, “God hates dead people? Or victims of tragedies LOL. Those people are cooked.”
His uncle pleaded with him.
“I say, Dzhokhar, if you’re alive, turn yourself in and ask for forgiveness from the victims.”
With an ongoing manhunt, people in and around Boston are on high alert.