Steve Annear Boston Globe
As word spread of the guilty verdicts against Dzhokhar Tsarnaev Wednesday, those around the Boston Marathon finish line reflected on how the attacks affected the city.
Camille Lerner, an employee at Sugar Heaven, a candy store just steps from the site of one explosion, painted a sign that read “B Strong” on the glass window of the shop.
Camille Lerner painted a sign after the verdict came down. Jessica Rinaldi Boston Globe
“It’s important to me,” said Lerner as she stood near her handiwork. She wasn’t working at the shop at the time of the attacks, but said it had affected many at her workplace.
She thought the symbol on the glass was fitting, given that the storefront window was shattered in the blast.
Lerner said she was “very excited” by the jury’s finding that Tsarnaev was guilty on all 30 of the charges he faced.
“All of them,” she said.
At Marathon Sports, the site of the first explosion, workers said they would not comment until the trial of Tsarnaev had been completely finished. Jurors still have to decide whether to impose the death penalty in the federal trial or sentence him to life in prison.
Passing by the finish line on Boylston Street in a cold rain, Chloe Danielson said she hoped the verdict would bring some closure to the people of Boston.
“But obviously, you never forget something like [that],” she said.
Danielson said she goes back and forth about whether Tsarnaev should get the death penalty.
She said there was no doubt in her mind that he would be found guilty on all charges, and she remained confident in the legal system, regardless of the sentence.
“Justice will be served,” she said.
Nearby, a duck boat tour guide operator encouraged visitors to cheer as they crossed the finish line. Another person left flowers on the painted portion of Boylston Street.
Roses left at bomb site after guilty verdict. Photo Boston Globe
Also passing by was Matt Stewart, 44, who has lived in Boston his whole life. He said the guilty verdict didn’t bring him any closure.
“I won’t until they put him to death,” he said. “He should have to be held accountable.”
John Rogers, 56, happened to be getting off of a Green Line trolley at Copley Station when he looked at his phone and saw the verdicts and decided to stop by the finish line to reflect.
“I think justice was done. He had his day in court,” Rogers said.
Although the verdicts came as good news, he said it didn’t undo the damage felt by Boston and those injured in the attacks.
“[They] will feel the pain of this for the rest of their lives. You can’t hit the ‘undo’ button,” he said.
Rogers said with the decision in, people should turn their focus away from Tsarnaev, and focus on the victims and their families.
“That’s who we should realize we need to help and pray for,” he said.
