Family members of Newtown massacre victims 'were in VIP seats close to explosions' at Boston Marathon
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.The Boston Marathon began with 26 seconds of silence for the victims of the Sandy Hook shootings and a little more than two hours later, lead runners passed through the last mile marker while was decorated with the seal of Newtown, Connecticut, and dedicated to the memory of the 20 children and six adults killed on December 14.
According to the Atlantic Wire, family members of the Newtown victims were seated in the VIP section of the marathon close to where the explosions went off.
Before the race the Boston Athletic Association president Joanne Flaminio said the event had “special significance” as there were 26miles to be run – one for each of the Newtown victims.
There was a group of Newtown parents and residents running as part of a group called Team Newtown Strong who were raising money for local charities. One of them was Mary Ellen Loncto, 71, of Ridgefield, Connecticut, whose husband Denis Loncto told his local paper of his frantic efforts to contact his wife. “It was like every cell phone in the city was going off at the same time,” he said.
Mrs Loncto, a paediatrician, was eventually confirmed uninjured.
Meanwhile, Lisa Abrams, whose husband, Thomas, 58, was one of the nine Team Newtown Strong members, told the Connecticut Post: “ Newtown cannot handle any more of this. We don't need any more stress, no more heartache.''
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments