Updates: 3 Dead, Dozens More in Criticial Condition

Image Credit: Associated Press

Updated 9:29 p.m.: Boston University President Robert Brown writes in a letter to the community that a grad student was among those who died in Monday’s blast. Neither he nor authorities at an afternoon press conference would identify the victim. But the Boston Globe reports that the Chinese Consulate in New York confirmed the victim was a Chinese citizen. Brown said that another BU student is among those seriously injured, though in stable condition. “Our hearts and thoughts go out to the family and friends of both victims,” Brown wrote. “As you may know, there is a vigil scheduled to take place this afternoon on Marsh Plaza at 5:30 p.m. Now that we know just how seriously the Boston University community has been affected by yesterday’s events, this vigil takes on a deeper and more somber significance.”

Updated 5:23 p.m.: As enough time has passed for families of those injured or killed by the bombs at the Boston Marathon finish line to be notified, we’re starting to learn more about the victims. So far, officials have reported three fatalities and over 170 injuries in the wake of the blast.

Martin Richard, an 8-year-old Dorchester boy, is among those killed by the blast, according to the Boston Globe. The Globe’s Kevin Cullen reports that Martin’s mother was “badly injured” and his sister lost her leg. Cullen writes that Richard “had gone out to hug his dad after he crossed the finish line. The dad walked on; the boy went back to the sidewalk to join his mom and his little sister. And then the bomb went off.” WHDH’s Nancy Chen tweets that friends and neighbors have begun leaving condolences outside Richards’ house.

Written in front of Martin Richard’s house: twitter.com/NancyChenNews/…

— Nancy Chen (@NancyChenNews) April 16, 2013

Richard’s father a community leader in Dorchester, released a statement today:

My dear son Martin has died from injuries sustained in the attack on Boston. My wife and daughter are both recovering from serious injuries. We thank our family and friends, those we know and those we have never met, for their thoughts and prayers. I ask that you continue to pray for my family as we remember Martin. We also ask for your patience and for your privacy as we work to simultaneously grieve and recover. Thank you.

This photo of Martin Richard, the 8-year-old victim of the bombing yesterday, has gone viral, no doubt because of his message urging peace:

A second victim was identified as Krystle Campbell, a 29-year-old from Medford, according to InsideMedford.com. Her Facebook, since made private, listed her as living in Arlington, currently and working at American Food Systems and Jasper White’s Summer Shack. Campbell’s father tells Yahoo News his daughter was at the finish line to watch her boyfriend race:

“My daughter was the most lovable girl. She helped everybody, and I’m just so shocked right now. We’re just devastated,” he said. “She was a wonderful, wonderful girl. Always willing to lend a hand.”

Politico’s Donovan Slack reports that the third victim is also a woman though we don’t yet know anything about her.

Hospitals have held press conferences throughout the day to describe the patients in their care. A law enforcement source tells the Globe that around 30 people were transfered to hospitals under a Code Red, meaning their injuries were life threatening and might lead to a higher death toll, but since then no new deaths have been reported an an MGH doctor said he was more confident that no more of their patients would lose their lives.

MGH doctors gave a morning briefing to say they’d conducted four amputations. Brigham and Women’s said they still had 19 patients in their care, 10 of whom were in critical condition, including a 5-year-old.

The Boston Medical Center sent an update to say that 19 of the 23 patients they received after the bombing remain hospitalized, 10 of them in critical condition. They received patients ranging from five years old to 78. Tufts Medical Center held a press availability to say that they received 14 bomb-related patients, 10 of them remain in the hospital this morning with about four expected to be released today. Four patients had limb-threatening injuries, but thus far, none have lost a limb. Boston Children’s Hospital’s director of trauma tells the Boston Globe that they treated eight children in total after Monday’s attack, including one as young as two years old. A nine and ten year old are among the most seriously injured. The nine-year-old girl lost a leg, and both will need multiple surgeries to recover fully.

Stories about specific victims injured in the attacks have started to surface as well. The Globe has the story of two brothers who went to the finish line to see a friend and who both lost a leg.  The Boston Herald reports that the man in this A.P. photo, which has appeared pretty much everywhere since Monday afternoon, had both legs amputated as well as another surgery to remove fluid from his abdomen. His father posted on Facebook that his son went to the race to see his girlfriend run. (We cropped the photo as he’s already missing most of his leg in it and it’s really quite graphic. It’s pictured in full here.) The man in the cowboy helping him has also been identified, and the Daily Beast has great info on him here.

Image Credit: The Associated Press