MIAMISBURG -- Just imagine being in Boston Friday. All day, you could not leave your home. The city was at a standstill. This is Reporter, Jackie Couture writing and I can tell you I do not have to imagine. I know exactly what they are going through because my brother, Barry and his wife, Katie are in the middle of it.
When the bombs went off Monday I immediately called my brother. He and all my cousins who go to the Marathon every year picked up and they were scared. They were moving quickly to get far away from downtown. It has been a long, stressful, and sad week for them.
"Everyone's really hurting, but trying to stay strong and just kind of get through this," said Barry talking to me via Skype on Friday afternoon.
At that moment, they were still stuck inside, like all other Bostonians. As the search for the suspect had the city on lock-down, they stayed inside heeding all the warnings as police searched for the suspect. Barry says people are not living in fear, but they have their eyes out and they respect law enforcement's requests. The whole city does.
"We've really been here watching this all unfold. It's strange to see your city turn into a war-zone," said Barry who had spent two tours of duty in Iraq as a Captain in the Army. This bombing in his backyard has felt deeply personal to him.
"As soon as the bombs went off you had this palpable feeling that you were definitely going to know someone in the blast before we had any news of anything."
Turns out, two of Barry and Katie's friends were badly injured: both losing parts of their legs. They have asked me not to say the names since the family is still asking for privacy. The good news is the couple is in stable condition.
"It's a tough thing, but it gives you even more of a personal connection... to people let's say it for what it is... had screws and ball bearings passed through their bodies at two high rates of speed because of couple of psychos felt like it. It's, it's hard to swallow," said Barry.
We wrapped up the phone call with an "I Love You." We've been saying a lot of that this week.
When the bombs went off Monday I immediately called my brother. He and all my cousins who go to the Marathon every year picked up and they were scared. They were moving quickly to get far away from downtown. It has been a long, stressful, and sad week for them.
"Everyone's really hurting, but trying to stay strong and just kind of get through this," said Barry talking to me via Skype on Friday afternoon.
At that moment, they were still stuck inside, like all other Bostonians. As the search for the suspect had the city on lock-down, they stayed inside heeding all the warnings as police searched for the suspect. Barry says people are not living in fear, but they have their eyes out and they respect law enforcement's requests. The whole city does.
"We've really been here watching this all unfold. It's strange to see your city turn into a war-zone," said Barry who had spent two tours of duty in Iraq as a Captain in the Army. This bombing in his backyard has felt deeply personal to him.
"As soon as the bombs went off you had this palpable feeling that you were definitely going to know someone in the blast before we had any news of anything."
Turns out, two of Barry and Katie's friends were badly injured: both losing parts of their legs. They have asked me not to say the names since the family is still asking for privacy. The good news is the couple is in stable condition.
"It's a tough thing, but it gives you even more of a personal connection... to people let's say it for what it is... had screws and ball bearings passed through their bodies at two high rates of speed because of couple of psychos felt like it. It's, it's hard to swallow," said Barry.
We wrapped up the phone call with an "I Love You." We've been saying a lot of that this week.
