16 Apr 2013 14:34

Boston Marathon bombings: First picture of eight-year-old boy killed as he waited for his dad

Martin Richard, eight, was waiting at the finish line with his mum and two siblings when the bombs went off

This is the first picture of the eight-year-old boy believed to have been killed in the Boston Marathon bombings .

Martin Richard is thought to have been waiting at the finish line to give his father Bill a hug once he had finished the race.

He was reportedly waiting with his mother and two siblings when the bombs went off.

The eight-year-old, from Dorchester, Massachusetts, was killed in the blast.

His mother is believed to have suffered a serious head injury while his sister had her leg blown off.

A third child is believed to have been uninjured.

Martin was one of three people killed in the double bombing , which left many more critically injured.

Witnesses said the area looked like a “war zone” with severed limbs and blood staining the road and pavements.

Marathon fans had been enjoying a carnival atmosphere as they cheered the exhausted runners across the finishing line.

But the happy scenes were shattered in the most brutal fashion as two terror bomb blasts ripped through the crowds .

Competitors and spectators fled in terror after the explosions - that came 25 seconds apart - sent debris flying through the air.

After the explosions, ball bearings were seen scattered around the area.

There were reports shotgun shells were used in the blasts, spraying runners and spectators with shrapnel.

Many of the injured were hit by flying debris as shops and offices had their windows blown out.

A third bomb went off at the JFK Memorial Library close by but no one was injured.

Another device was found under the viewing gallery at the finishing line. That was made safe in a controlled explosion.

As the FBI launched a hunt for those responsible, US President Barack Obama said: "We will find out who did this. We'll find out why they did this. Any responsible individuals, any responsible groups, will feel the full weight of justice."

There were no immediate claims of responsibility for the attack, the most serious in the US since the 9/11 atrocity.

Al Qaida-linked groups and militant white extremists have attacked targets in America in the past.

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