Who Is Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, the Man at the Center of the Boston Manhunt?
FBI
Alexander Abad-Santos 7:54 AM ET
This morning, after a chaotic evening saw his partner in crime (and apparently his older brother) killed and as a city locked down to find him, Dzhokhar A. Tsarnaev emerged as the name of the man in the ongoing manhunt in Boston Friday. According to information culled from multiple unconfirmed reports, Tsarnaev is a 19-year-old reportedly from Kyrgyzstan who has been living, for the past year, in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Here's everything else we think we know about "Suspect No. 2" — a.k.a. the one in the white hat, the one authorities apparently saw drop a bomb-laden backpack in security footages — as well as his dead brother and apparent accomplice, Tamerlan, based on the flood of (largely unconfirmed) incoming reports coming in from across American news outlets, social media, and across the world:
His name is Dzhokhar A. Tsarnaev:
BREAKING: AP: Surviving Boston bomb suspect identified as Dzhokhar A. Tsarnaev, 19, of Cambridge, Mass. -SS
— The Associated Press (@AP)
April 19, 2013
Dzhokar Has Been Living in the U.S. for at least one year:
BREAKING: AP sources: Boston bomb suspects from Russia region near Chechnya, lived in US at least 1 year. -SS
— The Associated Press (@AP)
April 19, 2013
Pete Williams of NBC News reports that Tsarnaev "entered the United States with family in 2002 or 2003, and that Tamerlan Tsarnaev became a legal permanent resident in 2007." Tsarnaev has a Massachusetts driver's license.
The City of Cambridge awarded "Dzhokhar Tsarnaev" a $2,500 scholarship in 2011, according to Boston.com report. "The city is awarding the $2,500 scholarships to 45 students using contributions from citizens and businesses. About 35 to 45 scholarships are awarded each year, according to the city," reported Boston.com's Brock Parker. Tsarnaev was a senior at Cambridge Rindge and Latin School then. This time frame would make sense if the AP is reporting that Tsarnaev was in the U.S. for at least a year.
Under an alternate spelling of his name, we found a "Djohar Tsarnaev" on Russian Facebook, who lists the Cambridge Rindge and Latin school as the last school he went to — and Boston as his current city.
The age and name match up, with the suspect as well as his school. He was checking in with social media yesterday. You'll also see his world view is "Islam" and personal priorities are "Career and money." One more photo:
This Is Reportedly His Yearbook Picture:
His Dad Says He's a Medical Student and an "Angel"
This is bizarre, but apparently the AP has caught up with Tsarnaev's father who is claiming he's a second-year medical student. "My son is a true angel ... Dzhokhar is a second-year medical student in the U.S. He is such an intelligent boy. We expected him to come on holidays here." the AP reports. Second-year medical students aren't usually 19, and this is the first time that Dzhokhar's career aspirations have been mentioned.
According to ABC News, Tsarnaev's father spoke to them yesterday and asked them if they were hurt in the bombings. Further, Dzhokhar's father urged him to surrender, but that was wrapped in a warning to police:
"Give up. Give up. You have a bright future ahead of you. Come home to Russia," the dad said.
The father warned, however, "If they killed him, then all hell would break loose."
"If they kill my second child, I will know that it is an inside job, a hit job. The police are to blame," the father told ABC News. "Someone, some organization is out to get them."
His Uncle Called Him a Loser
BREAKING: When I told the uncle that one of his nephews was killed in a gunfight with police he said he "deserved it."
#bostonmarathon #wbz
— Peter Wilson (@PetesWire)
April 19, 2013
"I just wanted my family [to] be away from them." He added. "I respect this country, I love this country."
Their Aunt Can't Believe Her Nephews Did This
That's what she told The Toronto Sun. Maret Tsarnev said:
My brother’s two boys, they are growing up so fast. My first reaction is, ‘Why the hell would they do this?’ But when I go through all the material, it’s not giving anything … the whole world is now making a decision (on them) now by just seeing these pictures and not having anything else
He Is a Registered Student at University of Massachusetts Dartmouth
UMass Dartmouth is closed today, explaining that a registered student was being sought by police. Buzzfeed Rosie Gray has an interview with Tsarnaev's classmates who say he was a student there.
One of His Friends Is a Nephew of Boston Radio Journalist Robin Young:
heart is broken. just confirmed, I know dzhokhar tsarnave, one of best freinds of my beloved nephew,who says he never in his life saw this.
— Robin Young (@hereandnowrobin)
April 19, 2013
And His Latest FBI Photo:
This Might Be IS NOT His Twitter Account
There are plenty of fake Twitter accounts springing up in the last few hours. But there appears to be a Twitter account using Dzhokhar's picture, that has been active since December 15, 2012 and stopped tweeting on December 27.
Update 10:04 a.m.Even though the Boston Globe and others reported that the account was real, it appears that it's a hoax and someone had changed their avatar.
He May Have Run Over His Own Brother
NBC's Williams says that Dzhokhar ran over his brother to get away from the firefight with police last night.
"I Don't Have a Single American Friend."
A photo essay which people believe profiles Dzhokhar's brother Tamerlan is being passed around the Internet today. We've contacted photojournalist Johannes Hirn, to verify Tamerlan's identity. What matches up is Tamerlan's place of birth (Chechnya), his age, and his name. In the essay, "Will Box for Passport", Tamerlan Tsarnaev said: "I don't have a single American friend, I don't understand them." In another post, Hirn writes: "Tamerlan says he would rather compete for the United States than for Russia."
Tamerlan Appears to Have Posted a Video With an "Extremist Religious Prophecy Associated with Al Qaeda" on YouTube.
A YouTube account believed to be Tamerlan's has surfaced. It matches his name and has been active for over a year:
Mother Jones's Adam Serwer explains:
Among those videos is one dedicated to the prophecy of the Black Banners of Khurasan which is embraced by Islamic extremists—particularly Al Qaeda. The videos posted on what appears to be Tsarnaev's YouTube page may shed light on the motivations for the attack on the Boston Marathon. The prophecy states that an invincible army will come from the region of "Khurasan," a large portion of territory in central Asia.
Tamerlan Was Reportedly Arrested for Domestic Assault and Battery
"In 2009, Tamerlan was arrested for domestic assault and battery after assaulting his girlfriend," reported Foreign Policy's David Kenner, but its unclear if either brother had a record beyond that.
They Have a "Sister"
The Star Ledger is reporting that they've found someone in West New York who shares the same last name as Dzhokhar and Tamerlan. "They were great people. I never would have expected it. They are smart – I don’t know what’s gotten into them." she said. Dan Goldberg writes "She referred to Dzhokhar A. Tsarnaev, 19, and his brother Tamerlan, 26, as her own 'brothers.'"
Tamerlan and Dzhokhar are not Sunil Tripathi. "Sunil Tripathi" was muttered on the police scanner last night. Tripathi is a student at Brown and has been missing since March 16. Because of Sunil's perceived resemblance to the blurry shot, that he's currently missing, and his name being muttered on the police scanner, Sunil is being brought up as a terror suspect. Sunil is not the Boston bombing suspect.
Police are reportedly closing in on Tsarnaev. You can follow along here.
Re: Boston Marathon Bombing
Reply With Quote
Originally Posted by Phil Fiord
killed by one of Monday’s terror blasts, The Smoking Gun has learned.
Bookmarks