Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
News
NYPD: Boston Marathon Bombing Suspects Were Headed To NYC "To Party"
By
John Del Signore
Published Apr 24, 2013
Modified Apr 24, 2013
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
By
John Del Signore
Published Apr 24, 2013
Modified Apr 24, 2013
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
After allegedly bombing the Boston Marathon then realizing that the FBI had released their photos to the world, the two brothers accused of the worst terrorist attack on American soil since 9/11 knew what to do next: Party in New York City. The unidentified man who says he was carjacked by Tamerlan and Dzhokhar Tsarnaev has told investigators that the brothers said they were headed to NYC, and at a press conference today, NYPD Commissioner Ray Kelly explained why.
"The information that we received said something about partying or having a party," Kelly said, citing what Dzhokhar, the surviving brother, told investigators. "The bit of information we have they may have been words to the effect of coming to party in New York." Kelly stressed that there is currently no indication that the Tsarnaevs were planning a terrorist attack in NYC.
According to the Commissioner, the carjacking victim said the brothers "were speaking in either Chechen or Russian, a language the driver didn’t understand. But he thought he heard the word ‘Manhattan’ in their conversation."
The AP also reports today that investigators have determined the bombs were detonated with remote control detonators. One official tells the AP the detonators were "close-controlled" which means they had to be triggered within several blocks of the bombs. The criminal complaint claims that surveillance footage shows Dzhokhar holding a cellphone in his hand minutes before the first explosion.
Tagged
boston marathon
Dzhokhar Tsarnaev
nyc
party
tamerlan tsarnaev
John Del Signore
Originally from the Albany area, John Del Signore has called NYC home since 1995. In addition to his thousands of meticulously-crafted bespoke blog posts for Gothamist, his writing has also been published in The Awl, Deadspin, The Nervous Breakdown, and performed at The Brick Theater in Brooklyn.
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE news
Man shot and killed on Midtown subway platform Saturday afternoon, NYPD says
Police said they're searching for a person of interest.
By
Ryan Kost
and
Elizabeth Kim
Published Oct 17, 2026 at 1:16 p.m. ET
Modified Oct 17, 2026 at 4:10 p.m. ET
Have you seen this Yorkie? NYPD looking for adorable pup dognapped from her Queens home
Suspects were driving a Subaru Forester, police said.
By
Ryan Kost
News
Have you seen this Yorkie? NYPD looking for adorable pup dognapped from her Queens home
Suspects were driving a Subaru Forester, police said.
By
Ryan Kost
Being reigning champions is weird for Knicks fans, but we could get used to this.
By
Catalina Gonella
Tompkins Square Park is getting a makeover. Some say it's too much.
By
Willow Higgins
Deer are all over New Jersey roads looking for sex, state officials warn
By
Rosemary Misdary
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .