Map Shows Hundreds of Tweets From Boston Marathon Bombing

Alex Fitzpatrick2013-04-20 18:32:56 UTC

This map, created by a Syracuse University professor and student, shows approximately 200 tweets sent from the scene of the Boston Marathon with the #BostonMarathon hashtag during the hours immediately following Monday's bombing.

Andrew Bauer, a student working on the project with Professsor Anthony Rotolo of Syracuse University's School of Information Studies, told Mashable his team collected more than 500,000 tweets with the hashtag, then whittled down the number to those geotagged in the Boston area.

The project is part of the school's New Explorations in Information and Science, or Nexis, a lab dedicated to data analysis and other Internet research.

"I realized we had all this location data," said Bauer, adding that a goal of his is to show technology's connection to the real world. "So location's been a big thing, to bring technology back into the physical world and show people that connection, that the things people do online, they apply to real life, it's not just pie in the sky sort of stuff."

The #BostonMarathon map displays as a heat map, allowing users to click into specific areas of Boston to reveal tweets — some with photographs — sent that tragic day.

"Even people who weren't super familiar with Twitter and its capabilities could realize all these people were sitting in the area at the time tweeting these things that were happening in real time," said Bauer. "I feel like it makes it just a little more concrete than just looking at a Twitter feed."

The full map can be accessed at Tweets From Boston.

Three people were killed and more than 170 injured in Monday's bombing. The elder suspect, 26-year-old Tamerlan Tsarnaev, died early Friday following a shootout with police. The second suspect, his 19-year-old brother Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, was apprehended alive but severely wounded Friday evening following a confrontation in Watertown, Mass.

Image via Kayana Szymczak/Getty Images

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10 Touching Acts of Kindness at the Boston Marathon

Annie Colbert2013-04-16 18:54:13 UTC

In the 24 hours since the Boston Marathon bombings, amazing stories of kindness have also emerged.

From the first responders who ran fearlessly toward the smoke to the Bostonians who opened their doors to stranded runners, the Internet has found solace in reading and sharing the firsthand accounts of people who stepped up to help in a moment of tragedy.

We collected 10 examples of the kindness displayed during the aftermath of bombings. If you've seen any other stories worth sharing, please post in the comments below.

Image via Bill Greene/The Boston Globe via Getty Images

Former New England Patriots offensive lineman Joe Andruzzi carried a woman from the scene of the blast. He later released a statement that read:

"Marathon Monday should be about uplifting stories, personal challenges and fundraising milestones, but today's bombings irrevocably changed that. While I appreciate the interest in hearing our perspective on today's horrific events, the spotlight should remain firmly on the countless individuals — first responders, medics, EMTs, runners who crossed the finish line and kept on running straight to give blood, and the countless civilians who did whatever they could to save lives. They were the true heroes. Our thoughts and prayers go out to all those affected by this senseless tragedy."

Image via Darren McCollester/Getty Images

Carlos Arredondo, whose son died in Iraq, rushed toward the smoke following the explosions to help the injured. According to the Washington Post, Arredondo used the training he'd received as a fireman in his native Costa Rica to assist victims by creating makeshift tourniquets.

Boston resident giving @alihatfield & us orange juice and offering a bathroom to use #BostonMarathon twitter.com/rm/status/3239…

— Ramsey Mohsen (@rm) April 15, 2013

Redditor "Zadmxm" shared his story of rushing to help at the finish line. "To me, the possibility of getting injured is less important than the potential for helping others already injured," he shared on an AMA thread titled "IAmA 117th Boston Marathon Finish Line Volunteer."

First responders (Photo: Kylie Atwood/CBS News) twitter.com/pourmecoffee/s…

— pourmecoffee (@pourmecoffee) April 15, 2013

#ProudToPay for brave first responders at the #BostonMarathon. #p2 #uniteblue twitter.com/RickStrandlof/…

— Rick Strandlof (@RickStrandlof) April 16, 2013

Image courtesy of Instagram, Alihat

Image via Melanie Stetson Freeman/The Christian Science Monitor via Getty Images

Open wifi, place to charge your phone cold drinks, or just don't want to be alone- both stores regular hours

— El Pelon Taqueria (@ElPelonTaqueria) April 15, 2013

Humbled by all the comments and my staff who didn't blink when asked and gladly served everyone who came through - they are my family

— El Pelon Taqueria (@ElPelonTaqueria) April 16, 2013

Kind folks also offered pizza.

Reports of Marathon Runners that crossed finish line and continued to run to Mass General Hospital to give blood to victims #PrayforBoston

— NBC Sports Network (@NBCSN) April 15, 2013

Thanks to generosity of volunteer blood donors there is currently enough blood on the shelves to meet demand. #BostonMarathon

— American Red Cross (@RedCross) April 15, 2013

Remember, donations are always needed. Contact your local Red Cross to learn more.

Homepage image via Bill Greene/The Boston Globe via Getty Images

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College Students Schedule Walk to Finish Boston Marathon

Samantha Murphy2013-04-16 17:59:03 UTC

Students at Boston College are organizing an event for those who didn't complete the Boston Marathon on Monday in light of the bombings that took place at the finish line.

A Facebook event — titled "Boston Marathon: The Last 5" — is encouraging runners and supporters to walk from the college to downtown Boston on Friday, April 19 "to stand united." More than 10,000 people have already RSVPed to attend.

"In light of today's tragedy, let's remember, honor, and stand up for all those affected by the incident that occurred at the 117th Boston Marathon," the event states. "We invite everyone to join us on Friday, April 19 at 4:30pm to walk from BC to Boston to stand united. For anyone who did not get to finish, For anyone who was injured, and For anyone who lost their life...we will walk. We will walk to show that we decide when our marathon ends."

According to Boston Marathon data, 5,742 of the 23,326 participants did not cross the finish line.

Image via Yoon S. Byun/The Boston Globe via Getty Images

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Boston Marathon Volunteer Who Helped Injured Shares Story on Reddit

Alex Fitzpatrick2013-04-16 17:07:31 UTC

A Boston Marathon volunteer who claims to have been near ground zero of Monday's deadly explosions has been sharing intimate details of his experience on Reddit under the pseudonym "Zadmxm." Zadmxm's account of the blasts, if authentic, reveals a volunteer whose medical training kicked in during a time of crisis, driving him to assist others while disregarding his own safety.

"We heard and felt two loud pops (think dropping a huge textbook onto a hardwood floor)," wrote Zadmxm, who said he is CPR/AED and first aid certified and was with a friend about one block from the finish line at the time of the explosions. "She thought explosion immediately, I wrote it off as a something falling. A cluster of police near us immediately alerted and started checking their radios. We heard the words two explosions come out of the radios and saw them start sprinting towards the finish line, vaulting barricades on the way."

Zadmxm is refusing to identify himself or give more formal interviews. He offered a photo of his race volunteer identification badge stripped of his name as evidence of his claims (he is not depicted in the above photo).

Zadmxm did, however, reveal he was operating as a general volunteer and not serving in a medical role and that he was a former runner taken out of the sport by a leg injury sustained earlier in life. After the explosions, he said he immediately began helping to direct marathon runners and spectators while also clearing obstacles out of arriving medical vehicles' paths.

"It wound up being three hours of controlled chaos of directing runners, families, spectators, media and constantly clearing the intersection on a moment's notice for what must have been over 100 emergency vehicles," wrote Zadmxm. "When [the Boston Police Department] was fully mobilized, the volunteers were dismissed and I went home with the rest of the teams."

Zadmxm told one Redditor the two explosions "sounded pretty much identical." When asked if he feared additional blasts, he said that "crossed my head" but he "really didn't think of it for long enough."

"To me, the possibility of getting injured is less important than the potential for helping others already injured," he wrote. More than 170 people were injured Monday with three fatalities thus far.

"Things like this will always bring out the heroes in everybody," reflected Zadmxm, who said he quit Reddit last year but returned to "get my thoughts on metaphorical paper so I can look back on this in the future."

"I saw people do incredible things, runners finishing one of the hardest races out there and then going and donating blood, turning around and helping coordinate our efforts, bomb squad guys rushing straight into an explosive situation," he added. "Every last person who did something good today is, in my mind, a hero for going so far above and beyond what they'd signed up to do."

Image via John Tlumacki/The Boston Globe via Getty Images

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'Sports Illustrated' Cover Honors Boston Marathon First Responders

Sam Laird2013-04-16 16:36:38 -0400

When a tragedy like the Boston Marathon bombing happens, it can be tough to define the line between sports news and hard news. This week, one of America's most iconic magazines gets it right. Above is the cover for April 22 issue of Sports Illlustrated, unveiled online Tuesday. It's some powerful stuff and no wonder the image has been shared far and wide on the social web since.

Let us know what you think of it in the comments below.

Image courtesy of Sports Illustrated

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Boston Marathon Explosions Kill 2

Emily Banks2013-04-15 14:18:43 -0500

Two explosions occurred near the finish line of the Boston Marathon Monday afternoon. The news and images, including some graphic photos, unfolded on social media just before 3 p.m. According to a tweet from the Boston Police Department, 23 people were injured and two are dead. CNN reports as many as 49 injured. A live feed, hosted by CBS, of the finish line continues to show the aftermath of the explosion, including emergency vehicles and crew on the scene.

Twitter users shared graphic images of the scene. Mashable will refrain from sharing overly graphic images in the Storify below, however, you can follow these links to tweets, if you choose. WARNING — graphic images: from @JackieBrunoNECN8m, @theoriginalwak, @brm90, Vine user Doug, the AP; an especially detailed video with audio of the explosion at Boston.com.

At approximately 3:50, The Boston Marathon posted to Facebook:

There were two bombs that exploded near the finish line in today's Boston Marathon. We are working with law enforcement to understand what exactly has happened.

Boston Police said shortly after 4 p.m., approximately one hour after the explosions, that Boylston Street, the scene of the explosions was cleared. All off-duty police officers were also activated, and K-9 and SWAT units were on the scene. Boston Police confirmed a third explosion at the JFK Library (UPDATE: Police say the JFK incident was a fire and unrelated to the marathon explosions). Authorities have discovered other suspicious packages in the area and have detonated controlled explosions.

SEE ALSO: Reddit User Compiles All the News About Boston Marathon Explosions |
Police Tweet Request for Video From Boston Marathon After Blast

Photo by David L. Ryan/The Boston Globe via Getty Images

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Reddit User Compiles All the News About Boston Marathon Explosions

Stan Schroeder2013-04-15 20:25:18 UTC

One of the largest online communities, Reddit, is often a great source of breaking news, and right now it's proving it with a story on the Boston marathon explosions.

In one of the top stories on Reddit at the moment, a redditor has started compiling all the news about the explosions that occurred at the marathon, leaving many runners and spectators injured and some dead.

With hundreds of comments, some apparently from people from Boston, and with Reddit's comment voting system pushing the most important info to the top, the story has quickly grown one of the best places to find info about the explosions.

"I'm here, present at Newbury Street. The initial panic has died down, but the volunteers are running wild and sirens are still going. I have seen ~10 ambulances drive by in the last few minutes," wrote one highly voted commenter.

"Another possible incendiary device at UMass Library. Get it out on social media that people should get away from the area as soon as possible," wrote another, apparently citing a police scanner.

The story is still developing, so you should take anything you see from unconfirmed sources with scrutiny. Still, Reddit has once again proved it can be a valuable source of info in times of crisis.

Image via John Tlumacki/The Boston Globe via Getty Images

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Google Person Finder Locates Missing at Boston Marathon Explosion

Zoe Fox2013-04-15 21:36:08 UTC

Google Person Finder, a tool the company built following the 2010 earthquake in Haiti, has been activated for use following the deadly Boston Marathon explosions Monday afternoon.

Shortly after launching, the Person Finder homepage says it's tracking about 800 records.

As the tool is being populated, you can either search for someone or share information about someone's whereabouts. The tool includes a disclaimer stating that Google doesn't review or verify any information, and all submitted details are public to all users.

If you can't find the information you're looking for from Google Person Finder, the Boston Athletic Association shares marathon runners' recent times and locations. The Red Cross has a similar feature to Google's Person Finder called Safe and Well, which is currently being used to share whereabouts as well.

Google Person Finder is a project of Google Crisis Response, part of the tech giant's non-profit arm, Google.org.

For Marathoners stranded in Boston due to flight cancellations or other complications, Boston.com has set up a Google Doc where people can express need or offer their homes to guests.

According to a 4:06 p.m. ET tweet from the Boston Police Department, two deaths are reported and 23 people are injured, though some news organizations are reporting higher numbers.

Image via Photo by Alex Trautwig/Getty Images

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Police Tweet Request for Video From Boston Marathon After Blast

Sam Laird2013-04-15 17:07:05 -0400

The Boston Police Department tweeted a plea for video from the finish line of the Boston Marathon after multiple blasts rocked the area Monday afternoon.

At time of writing, police had confirmed 23 injured and two dead as a result of the explosions, although those numbers will change. The explosions were later identified as bombs.

In the minutes after the blasts, the official Boston Police Department Twitter account posted this message asking for video from the finish line:

BostonPolice looking for video of the finish line #tweetfromthebeat via @cherylfiandaca

— Boston Police Dept. (@Boston_Police) April 15, 2013

While self-shot photo, video and social media posts from the site of the Boston Marathon blasts both increased confusion and provided much-needed information Monday afternoon, the widespread presence of digital media could play another important role in figuring out just what happened and how.

The thinking here appears to be that someone may have inadvertently shot video or photos that could help piece together where the explosions came from and who was responsible for them.

While news video of the blasts has circulated online, we'll see what emerges from ordinary citizens at the scene before, during and after the violence. Vine videos, Instagram photos, Facebook and Twitter posts as well as digital keepsakes not shared to social media could play a role in the investigation to come in ways not possible just several years ago.

Police ask the public to call 1-800-494-TIPS with any information.

Image via Alex Trautwig/Getty Images

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Foursquare's Dennis Crowley Tweets From Scene of Boston Marathon Explosions

Todd Wasserman2013-04-15 20:22:52 UTC

Dennis Crowley, the CEO and co-founder of Foursquare, ran in Monday's Boston Marathon, but emerged unhurt after explosions marred the event. Crowley used Twitter to report from the scene of the incident.

Crowley, who also used Foursquare to check in at every mile, sent his first tweet at 3:08 EDT.

I'm ok.about 20k of us in corral just before mi 26. marker. @chelsa ok too

— Dennis Crowley (@dens) April 15, 2013

Crowley then offered real-time description of the horrible events:

still stuck at mi 26. mom dad Michelle chelsa all ok.

— Dennis Crowley (@dens) April 15, 2013

FYI no one at mi 26 has any idea what's happening.

— Dennis Crowley (@dens) April 15, 2013

rumor has it rest of race is canceled. but no cell service so lots if rumors / can't get texts thu so can't plan family rendezvous

— Dennis Crowley (@dens) April 15, 2013

god bless you mophie battery park. every runner is almost dead battery. people see me texting and queuing to use my phone

— Dennis Crowley (@dens) April 15, 2013

scene at mile 26 - mass ave @ comm ave twitter.com/dens/status/32…

— Dennis Crowley (@dens) April 15, 2013

btw it juuusssst hit me how lots of walking on mi 24 may have saved me a bit. pretty shaken up.

— Dennis Crowley (@dens) April 15, 2013

Crowley, who has more than 63,000 followers on Twitter, ran this year's marathon to raise money for Camp Interactive, a program designed to expose underprivileged youth to technology.

Image via ERIC PIERMONT/AFP/Getty Images

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