Two explosions occurred near the finish line at the Boston Marathon on Monday about four hours after the start of the race.
At least two people were killed, and more than 110 were wounded.
LISTEN TO FORMER CIA ON BOSTON EXPLOSION
This evening, President Obama made a statement about today’s explosions at the Boston Marathon.
(Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)
The President explained that he had been briefed by his Homeland Security team, who are continuing to monitor the situation as it unfolds, and had "directed the full resources of the federal government to help state and local authorities protect our people, increase security around the United States as necessary, and investigate what happened."
“The American people will say a prayer for Boston tonight,” he said. “And Michelle and I send our deepest thoughts and prayers to the families of the victims in the wake of this senseless loss.”
We still do not know who did this or why. And people shouldn’t jump to conclusions before we have all the facts. But make no mistake -- we will get to the bottom of this. And 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.
Today is a holiday in Massachusetts -- Patriots’ Day. It’s a day that celebrates the free and fiercely independent spirit that this great American city of Boston has reflected from the earliest days of our nation. And it’s a day that draws the world to Boston’s streets in a spirit of friendly competition. Boston is a tough and resilient town. So are its people. I'm supremely confident that Bostonians will pull together, take care of each other, and move forward as one proud city. And as they do, the American people will be with them every single step of the way.
You should anticipate that as we get more information, our teams will provide you briefings. We're still in the investigation stage at this point. But I just want to reiterate we will find out who did this and we will hold them accountable.
UPDATE
07:49 PM ET
2 killed, more than 130 hurt in Boston Marathon bombing
Two killed – including 8-year-old boy – in bomb blasts near finish line of Boston Marathon, Boston police say. Area hospitals say at least 132 are injured, including eight children.
Two explosions happened at about 2:50 p.m., more than two hours after the first of the race's nearly 27,000 runners had crossed the finish line.
Boston.com journalist reports "blood everywhere," people missing limbs.
Race called off; Red Cross and Google set up websites to help people find loved ones in the area
[Update, 7:49 p.m. ET] Doctors are "pulling ball bearings out of people in the emergency room," suggesting that the bombs were designed to propel shrapnel, a terrorism expert briefed on the investigation told CNN's Deborah Feyerick.
[Update, 7:43 p.m. ET] An 8-year-old boy was among those killed, a state law enforcement source said, according to CNN's John King.
[Update, 7:38 p.m. ET] At least 132 people – including eight children – have been injured in the bombings, according to Boston-area hospitals. Boston police earlier said that two people were killed.
At least 17 of the injured are in critical condition, and at least 25 are in serious condition, area hospitals said.
[Update, 7:08 p.m. ET] A witness, Marilyn Miller, told CNN that she was about 30 feet away from the first bomb when it went off. The second bomb came about 12 seconds after and about 50 to 100 yards away from the first, according to authorities and an analysis of video from the site.
"We saw injuries all around us," Miller said. Someone was putting pressure on a woman's neck. "A little boy, his leg was torn up. A woman, (people) were (shouting), 'Critical, critical, get out of out way!'"
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