Dzhokhar Tsarnaev Indicted: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know

Dzhokhar Tsarneav — the 19-year old suriving suspect in the Boston Marathon bombings — has been indicted by a federal grand jury for the deadly bomb attack near the finish line as well as the night of mayhem which paralyzed the city three days later. The 74 page document which took 73 days in the making, gives chilling details of the Tsarnaev brothers’ actions before and during the terror-filled rampage which killed four and injured hundreds.

Here are the shocking facts of the Boston bombing indictment:

1. 17 of the 30 Count Indictments Carry The Death Penalty

The indictment includes 30 counts — 17 of which carry the death penalty — related to the deadly bomb attack near the finish line of the Boston marathon on April 15, as well as a night of mayhem three days later. He is being charged for the murder of the three people killed in the twin blasts near the finish line as well as the MIT cop who was shot and killed in an assault. Other charges include using weapons of mass destruction and conspiracy.

According to David Abel, a Reporter from the Boston Globe:

Tsarnaev charges include ‘bombing of a place of public use’ and ‘malicious destruction of property resulting in death and conspiracy.More charges against Tsarnaev: ‘carjacking resulting in serious bodily injury; interference with commerce by threats or violence. 17 charges authorize life imprisonment or the death penalty of Tsarnaev.

2. Dzhokhar and His Brother Were Inspired by Al Qaeda Publications and Violent Jihad Propaganda

Dzhokhar downloaded, Inspire, al Qaeda’s English-language magazine

According to the indictment, Dzhokhar Tsarnaev downloaded various publications designed to terrorize “the perceived enemies of Islam.” Publications such as “Jihad and The Effects of Intentions Upon It” and “The Slicing Sword Against The One Who Forms Allegiances With Disbelievers” glorifies martyrdom in the form of violent jihad. One of the various publications downloaded by Dzhokhar included a forward by Anwar Al-Awlak, a wellknow al-Qaeda propagandist.
The most telling publication that Dzokhar Tsarnaev had in his possesion was an issue of al Qaeda’s english magazine “Inspire” which ran a detailed feature about explosive-building in its debut issue under the headline “Make a Bomb in the Kitchen of Your Mom.” Dzokhar Tsarnaev, has admitted to investigators that he and his brother Tamerlan learned to make pressure cooker bombs by reading this magazine.

3. In His Writings Dzhokhar Said Anti-America Killings Were “Allowed”

The indictment claims that Tsarnaev left a written confession in the boat where he was captured in a Watertown back yard, saying, “I don’t like killing innocent people” but it was justified because of US government actions abroad. “The US Government is killing our innocent civilians. I can’t stand to see such evil go unpunished. We Muslims are one body, you hurt one you hurt us all,” the indictment alleges. “Stop killing our innocent people, we will stop.”

4. The Brothers Designed Bombs to “Shred Flesh, Shatter Bone”

Tsarnaev is “charged with using weapons of mass destruction, killing four individuals among other charge,” the Massachusetts U.S. Attorney’s Office Tweeted Thursday afternoon.

5. Indictment Made No Reference to a Larger Conspiracy

The indictment made no mention of any larger conspiracy beyond the brothers, and no reference to any direct overseas contacts with extremists. The two brothers hail from Dagestan, a turbulent region that has become a hotbed for Islamic extremism. In early 2012, Tamerlan Tsarnaev traveled to the region, a move that prompted Russia to alert U.S. authorities of possible terrorist activities. An FBI investigation at the time was inconclusive.

Indictment Boston Bomber