Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
News
Teenagers Support Alleged Boston Marathon Bomber Through Social Media
By
Ben Yakas
Published May 12, 2013
Modified May 12, 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
Ben Yakas
Published May 12, 2013
Modified May 12, 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
Almost immediately after Dzhokhar Tsarnaev and his brother Tamerlan were identified by the FBI as the main suspects in the Boston Marathon bombing that left three people dead and hundreds injured, people started popping up on social media to stridently defend them and claim this has all been a conspiracy. The NY Post talked to some of the people embracing this #FreeJahar thing, and found that many of the defenders are teenage girls who think that Dzhokhar is just too cute to be guilty, because (SURPRISE) teenagers are dumb.
Alisha, an 18-year-old from Kansas, told them she was getting one of Jahar’s tweets ( “If you have the knowledge and the inspiration, all that’s left is to take action”) tattooed on her arm: “He was just this pothead 19-year-old boy who didn’t care,” she said. “I don’t see it.” Perhaps she didn't see the video evidence of the bombing; or the reports about the bomb materials that were in Dzhokhar's dorm room; or the account of the car jacking victim who said they bragged about their crimes; or Dzhokhar's own confession to police.
“Yes i like Justin Bieber and i like Jahar but that has nothing to do with why i support him. I know hes innocent, he is far too beautiful,” tweeted FreeJahar97, who identified herself on Twitter as “Gianna,” a 16-year-old with “big boobs." As Gawker pointed out, some of these kids—especially friend Troy Crossley, who seems to have sparked the "movement"—are aware of how they are perceived by the media, and try to distance themselves from being labelled "fangirls," despite the fact that that's exactly what they are. And Crossley, in particular, seems as interested in promoting himself and his music as anything else.
If you really feel like jumping down the rabbit hole, it runs pretty deep, and not just the Twitter hashtags and Facebook groups (that one has 6,500 followers now). Go here to see all the Tumblrs tagged "Free Jahar;" look here for Jahar fan fiction; and you can check two individual sites here and here, chockfull of dreamy photoshopped pictures and hopeless devotion. But if you want to save your clicks for something far more noble, check out this video of a pug watching the final scene of Homeward Bound!
Tagged
boston
boston marathon
boston marathon bombing
Dzhokhar Tsarnaev
teenagers
teens
Ben Yakas
Ben Yakas is a former Gothamist reporter.
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE news
NYC’s whiplash weather continues into weekend with heavy winds, chilly temps, NWS says
Friday expect scattered showers and thunder, cooler temperatures Saturday, and a sunny Sunday.
By
Monica Melton
Published Oct 16, 2026 at 10:22 a.m. ET
Early Addition: Winning an affordable housing lottery is great unless it's not
Because the apartment might be very small and not that affordable, here are your early links: Congestion pricing is paying for new subway elevators, G.W. Bridge has a new pedestrian walkway, not so many airplane barf bags and more.
By
James Ramsay
News
Early Addition: Winning an affordable housing lottery is great unless it's not
Because the apartment might be very small and not that affordable, here are your early links: Congestion pricing is paying for new subway elevators, G.W. Bridge has a new pedestrian walkway, not so many airplane barf bags and more.
By
James Ramsay
Mamdani and 100+ NY officials urge parking lot owners to ban ICE
By
Arya Sundaram
NYC ambulance response times have grown 41% as life-threatening calls rise
By
Ben Feuerherd
Federal judge tosses Trump administration lawsuit challenging NYC sanctuary laws
By
Phil Corso
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 .