WASHINGTON – Despite heading-off many potential terrorist events in the years since Sept. 11, 2001, the bombing at the Boston Marathon points out local, state, and federal law enforcers can’t prevent every attack.
“One got through, and it only takes one, and this is the end result,” says Michael Greenberger, director of the Center for Health and Homeland Security at the University of Maryland.
Three people were killed, and 141 were injured after two explosions near the finish line of the marathon, in downtown Boston.
“My hope is there will be lessons learned from this,” says Greenberger, in a WTOP interview.
Investigators are trying to determine whomever is responsible and a motive for the bombing.
“To know whether something is a terrorist attack, you don’t have to know who perpetrated it,” says Greenberger.
Investigators believe the explosives may have been placed in garbage cans or mailboxes.
“Here you had very dangerous devices used in a random way to kill innocent civilians, to instill fear,” said Greenberger.
Greenberger says he’s confident law enforcers will determine who placed the bombs, but it may take time to process evidence.
“There’s so many clues here. The way the bomb was made, fingerprints, those videos, there are videos all over the place.”
