Rick DesLauriers Former FBI Agent Recalls Triumphant Discovery In 2013 Deadly Boston Marathon Bombings – The two-part premiere episodes of the Paramount+ series FBI TRUE Season 2 introduce viewers to three officials who collaborated to identify, track down, and capture the terrorists responsible for the Boston Marathon bombings: retired FBI special agent Nancy Aguilar, retired Watertown Police Sgt. John MacLellan, and former FBI Boston Special Agent in Charge Rick DesLauriers.
When two pressure cooker bombs detonated close to the Boston Marathon finish line in April 2013, the city of Boston suffered one of the greatest terrorist attacks on American soil. Americans focused their attention on television screens, online forums, Twitter, Facebook, and other social media while emergency personnel dealt with the mayhem and law authorities started looking for the criminals. (Image from nytimes.com)
On April 15, 2013, Rick DesLauriers was preparing to step down as FBI Special. Agent in Charge of the Boston Division when he learned that there had been two significant explosions close to the Boston Marathon finish line. That morning, Rick DesLauriers retirement plans were altered so he could assist in organizing the FBI’s search for the alleged bombers. Krystle Campbell, 29, Lingzi Lu, 23, and Martin Richard, 8, were killed in the mayhem, which also left hundreds of people injured.
At a press conference regarding the Boston Marathon bombings on April 18, 2013, in Boston, Massachusetts, the FBI’s special agent in charge of Boston Richard DesLauriers gave a statement. Getty Images
Residents of Boston were on edge and worried about more attacks. People were urged to stay put and to stay away from large gatherings. Law enforcement was racing to identify the perpetrators and stop additional attacks.
Rick DesLauriers Former FBI Agent Recalls “Eureka Moment” in Manhunt for Boston Marathon Bombers
He was carrying a backpack and wore a baseball cap with a backwards-pointing bill. Rick DesLauriers noted that when he approached, he appeared to be just like any other person. He eventually drops the bag on the ground while still standing directly in front of the camera. And a little while later, he answers a call on his cellphone. He ends the call by hanging up. The concussive impacts of the first bomb then become visible from Boylston Street’s east side.
Everyone looks to the left as they consider what just transpired. This man in the white hat simply strolls away in silence. and approximately five seconds after he disappears from view. You witness the second bomb detonate. Rick DesLauriers remarked, “You see just horrible destruction — horrible destruction.” A surveillance footage from the second bombing site was then shown to DesLauriers by the FBI’s Computer Analysis and Response Team. On the footage, there was a man who stood out.
The FBI identified two potential perpetrators after gathering further video evidence from Boylston Street establishments. Both of the suspects were wearing caps, bags, and were seen walking alongside the racecourse.
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Rick DesLauriers – FBI Agent In Charge of the 2013 Boston Marathon Bombing Case
A team was assembled by Rick DesLauriers to sort through the scene’s evidence. Investigators discovered fragments of pressure cooker bombs there that were packed with explosives and shrapnel, including nails, screws, and bolts. It was deemed a terrorist assault by Rick DesLauriers and his colleagues; it lacked a cause or a suspect. A few days later, on April 17, 2013, the inquiry experienced its biggest break.
At a press conference on April 18, 2013, the photographs were revealed, and law authorities requested assistance from the public in locating them. The Massachusetts Institute of Technology police officer Sean Collier was killed while seated in his police cruiser, DesLauriers learnt when he arrived home that evening. A man driving a Mercedes was also taken hostage by the accused, but he was able to escape an hour later. The automobile was observed by a policeman in Watertown, Massachusetts, who then began to follow them. Mercedes came to a standstill. According to police, the driver started firing at the officer.
In Watertown, Dzhokhar Tsarnaev left the Mercedes and hid in a boat behind a house. The boat’s cover was ripped, and the homeowner discovered this and phoned the police. In response, an FBI hostage negotiation team intervened to persuade Tsarnaev to exit the boat. He eventually gave up.
