Boston Bombing
April 16, 2013 7:38 AM   Subscribe

News reports keep mentioning the injuries to the lower extremities of runners. Normally, when these kind of bombs go off, the shrapnel they send hits all parts of victim's bodies. Are news organizations saying the injuries are mostly to lower parts of bodies because they're focused on the bombing happening at a running event, or was it like some anti personnel mines (Bouncing Betty) that are designed to do damage to legs?
posted by CollectiveMind to Law & Government (5 answers total)

This post was deleted for the following reason: I don't think this an answerable question at this point. The news is too recent to thoroughly analyze the media's motivations, and little is known as yet about the make-up of the explosive devices. -- goodnewsfortheinsane

 
I'm not sure about the devices used, but I looked at a few pictures (Which I do not recommend) and there were some people who looked fine apart from some very damaged lower extremities. Very, very damaged.
posted by sweetkid at 7:41 AM on April 16, 2013


From what I can tell, most of the injured were spectators, not runners. The first explosion, which was captured extensively on video due to its proximity to the finish line, was not on the course but rather in the spectator area in front of one of the shops on Boylston street. I think (though I don't know for sure) that the explosive device was on the ground or underneath the spectator seating, so it came from below, thus why there are a lot of injuries to lower extremities.
posted by bedhead at 7:44 AM on April 16, 2013


Apparently the bombs were placed low on the ground.
posted by Defying Gravity at 7:44 AM on April 16, 2013


Can I advise you don't go looking for pictures of the wounds? I work in an er and I saw some pictures that are much much worse than anything I've ever seen. Sorry to interrupt your question but you really don't want to see this stuff.
posted by sully75 at 7:45 AM on April 16, 2013 [1 favorite]


An explosive placed against an unyielding surface will direct most of it's energy normal to the surface. If that surface is vertical and the explosive placed low down then most of the energy will impact people standing in that area low down. This for example is how a claymore works.
posted by Mitheral at 7:47 AM on April 16, 2013


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