Regina runner relieved by Boston Marathon bombing verdict
-
Share on Facebook
-
Share on Twitter
- Copy Link
When Lisa Schwann heard the guilty verdict in the Boston Marathon bombing trial, the horrific memories of the day the bombs went off came rushing back.
After crossing the finish line at the marathon, the Regina runner was close by when the twin bombs went off, killing three people and injuring hundreds more.
“The last thing in the world I thought it was was a bomb, and one of the ladies I was running with said ‘it’s a bomb. Get out.’ And people were running and it was just scary. There was people running all over the place and it was just a lot of blood.”
Schwann has been following every detail of the trial in the news. She wants to remind people here that Dzhokhar Tsarnaev admitted his guilt before the court and, in her eyes, he deserves the full extent of justice.
“He placed the bomb directly behind families and children and his brother wasn’t with him when he did that,” she said, her voice breaking with the memory. “People should not have mercy on this guy and they should realize that he did know what he was doing and he caused so much pain and destruction for so many people.”
Schwann is thankful that the man responsible for killing innocent people is being held accountable for his crimes. Of the 30 charges he was found guilty of, 17 carry the death penalty in the U.S. Now the jury must decide whether he should be executed or sentenced to life in prison.
Watching from Canada, Schwann says she’s not sure what to hope for. She only knows the jury faces a tough decision for his penalty.
“You want him to be put to death for what he has done but that may be good for him,” Schwann commented. “He should probably be held in solitary confinement for the rest of his life. That’s probably more painful.”
Schwann says she has not gone back to the Boston Marathon, but she wants to return someday. The positive memory she holds on to is how many people came rushing to help the victims of the attack. She says she is still overwhelmed by the kindness of people who reach out to support the runners. She says many of the people who were there still stay in contact on social media.
There were 22 Saskatchewan runners who took part in the 2013 Boston Marathon. Schwann was the closest to the finish line.
news@panow.com
