Boston Bombing Suspect: ‘I Can’t Stand to See Such Evil Go Unpunished’

Federal officials claim that in the hours that Boston Marathon bombing suspect Dzhokhar Tsarnaev laid in hiding inside dry-docked boat in Watertown, he wrote a message on the side of the vessel’s wall, addressed to those who would eventually find him:

“The U.S. 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 message allegedly said. “Now I don’t like killing innocent people, it is forbidden in Islam, but due to said [detracted] it is allowed. Stop killing our innocent people and we will stop.”

The message was part of a 73-page indictment handed down by a Grand Jury on Thursday, and released by federal officials investigating the case.

Dzhokhar, the younger of the two brothers accused of setting bombs at the Boston Marathon finish line on April 15, was indicted on 30 charges, including conspiracy to use a weapon of mass destruction, using a weapon of mass destruction resulting in death, and possession of a firearm. Seventeen of the charges could lead to the death penalty if convicted, according to federal officials.

Dzhokhar is currently being held in a facility at Fort Devens. His older brother, Tamerlan Tsarnaev, who was also allegedly involved in the attack, was killed after a police chase and shootout on the streets of Watertown on April 19. The document states that Tamerlan allegedly placed one bomb in front of Marathon Sports, and Dzhokhar placed the other by the Forum restaurant. More than 260 people were injured after the brothers allegedly detonated the devices, and three people were killed.

“We will do everything we can to pursue justice, not only on [behalf of the families impacted], but on behalf of all of us,” said U.S. District Attorney Carmen Ortiz, during a press conference in South Boston. The announcement about the indictment was made in conjunction with officials from the Middlesex and Suffolk District Attorney’s offices. Dzhokhar is also being charged on a state level with 15 various counts out of Middlsex District Court.

The indictment claims that the brothers learned how to make the explosives from an English language online publication distributed by members of al-Qaeda, called Inspire Magazine, which came out in 2010, and contained detailed instructions on how to assemble a pressure cooker bomb using fireworks and shrapnel. “[Improvised Explosive Devices] constructed in this manner are designed to shred flesh, shatter bone, and cause extreme pain and suffering, as well as death,” authorities wrote in the indictment.

According to the court document handed down by the Grand Jury, Dzhokhar allegedly downloaded digital copies of publications that “advocate violence designed to terrorize the perceived enemies of Islam,” including citizens of the United States. Those downloads included a copy of Inspire Magazine prior to the April bombing, officials said.

In the court documents, it states that the brothers traveled out of state to New Hampshire to practice shooting guns on a firing range using two 9-millimeter weapons. In the nights following the attack on Boylston Street, officials said the brothers used those skills practiced at the range to “ambush, attack, and kill” MIT Police Officer Sean Collier while he sat in his vehicle in Cambridge on April 18. The indictment also details the destruction and day-long pursuit that followed Collier’s murder. To read the full 73-page indictment, go here.