Boy, 8, one of two killed in bombings at Boston Marathon; scores wounded
April 16, 2013 -- Updated 0003 GMT (0803 HKT)
A woman kneels and prays at the scene of two apparent bombings near the finish line of the Boston Marathon on Monday, April 15.
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
- NEW: An 8-year-old boy was one of two killed
- The bombs were small, with no initial sign of high-grade explosive material, an official tells CNN
- The blasts at the marathon were 50 to 100 yards apart, officials say
- Obama vows those guilty "will feel the full weight of justice"
(CNN) -- Two bombs struck near the finish line of the Boston Marathon on Monday, turning a celebration into a bloody scene of destruction.
The blasts threw people to the ground, killing two and injuring dozens. One of the dead was an 8-year-old boy, according to a state law enforcement source.
Hospitals reported at least 134 people being treated, at least 17 of them in critical condition and 25 in serious condition. At least eight of the patients are children.
At least 10 people injured had limbs amputated, according to a terrorism expert briefed on the investigation.
Doctors are "pulling ball-bearings out of people in the emergency room," the expert said, suggesting the bombs were designed to propel shrapnel.
"Any responsible individuals, any responsible groups, will feel the full weight of justice," President Barack Obama vowed.
Boston "is a tough and resilient town," he said, adding that Americans will stand by Bostonians "every single step of the way."
'Like a huge cannon'
The terrorist attack, near the marathon's finish line, triggered widespread screaming and chaos, shattered windows and barricades and sent smoke billowing into the air at Copley Square.
The blasts were about 50 to 100 yards apart, officials said, on a stretch of the marathon course lined with spectators cheering runners through the final yards of a 26-mile, 385-yard endurance feat.
"It felt like a huge cannon," a witness told CNN about one of the blasts.
Photos from the scene showed people being carried away on stretchers. One man in a wheelchair had blood all over his face and legs.
The bombs shook buildings, sending people to seek shelter under tables, witnesses said.
Federal authorities are classifying the bombings as a terrorist attack, but it's not clear whether the origin was domestic or foreign, a federal law enforcement official with knowledge of the investigation said.
A federal law enforcement official told CNN that both bombs were small, and initial tests showed no C-4 or other high-grade explosive material, suggesting that the packages used in the attack were crude explosive devices.
