The Federal Bureau of Investigation today released surveillance images of two suspects connected to the Boston Marathon bombings.

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  Video of suspects in Boston Marathon bombings

FBI Special Agent Richard DesLaurien said two men are suspected of the crime.

They appear to be associated, he said, and are referred to as Suspect 1 and Suspect 2.

Suspect 1 is wearing a dark hat, suspect two is wearing a white hat. Number two is suspected of planting the devices, he said, although the FBI does not have video of the bomb being planted.

“We strongly encourage those who were at The Forum restaurant that have not contacted us yet to do so. Suspects one and two seem to be walking together ion Boylston Street in the direction of the finish line… as you can see the quality of the photos is quite good,” DesLaurien said.

“For more than 100 years the FBI has relied on the public to be its eyes and ears… Somebody out there knows these individuals as friends, neighbors.. any bit of info no matter how small… it is extremely important to contact us with any information,” he said. “We consider them to be armed and extremely dangerous.”

No one should approach them,  and no one should attempt to apprehend them except law enforcement, he said.

The FBI established a website: Bostonmarathontips.fbi.gov, which crashed shortly after the bureau’s televised announcement.

“The horror of that day will remain with us forever,” DesLaurien said.

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President Barack Obama will visit Boston’s South End Thursday morning to speak at an interfaith memorial service at Cathedral of the Holy Cross, and will be joined by First Lady Michelle Obama.

The service is meant to honor the victims of Monday’s brutal Boston Marathon bombings, which Obama has described as an act of terror.

Gov. Deval Patrick and Mayor Thomas M. Menino first announced Obama’s visit during a media briefing Tuesday afternoon.

White House press secretary Jay Carney said he did not know yet whether Obama would visit any of the injured victims or tour the bombing site while in Boston.

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Investigators said that two bombs that tore through the crowd at the Boston Marathon finish line Monday may have been fashioned out of shrapnel-filled pressure cookers that were transported in black nylon backpacks.

Boston doctors treating the wounded told reporters today that several of the victims were maimed by what appeared to be pieces of plastic and metal. The fragments were removed during surgery, and turned over to authorities.

Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Agent Richard DesLauriers, who is heading up the investigation, said the pressure cooker bombs may have also contained ball bearings and nails.

As of this evening, no one had taken responsibility for the bombings, and investigators had made no arrests in connection with the attack, which killed three people and injured more than 170. The explosions happened around 2:50 p.m. Monday near the finish line of the Boston Marathon, on Boylston Street.

Authorities said they had received more than 2,000 tips as of noon, many of which were reviewed by 5 p.m.

“The investigation in its infancy. We will thoroughly review each and every piece of evidence,” DesLaurier said, also pleading with the public to provide more information.

The FBI is looking for people who might have seen or heard suspicious activity, including someone carrying a dark, heavy bag near the site of the blasts before the explosions. DesLaurier asked people to inform investigators if they heard any noises similar to an explosion in the days before the attack, as they may indicate a practice blast, and also if anyone overheard discussions a possible attack on the Boston Marathon.

“The range of suspects and motives remains wide open. We’re asking for tips from anyone who may target the event,” he said.

Forensic experts are reconstructing the suspected explosive devices at an FBI lab in Virginia to determine its components. More information is expected during a media briefing this afternoon, but in the meantime DesLaurier asked the public to “remain alert.”

Boston Mayor Thomas M. Menino joined officials at the briefing this evening, commending civilians and emergency respondents for their assistance.

“We are Boston. We are one community and we will not let terror take us over,” he said.

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The post The biggest question in Boston remains: Who did it? appeared first on Metro.us.

An 8-year-old boy killed in the attack on the Boston Marathon was being mourned Monday night in Dorchester, a neighborhood in Boston.

Martin Richard, 8, was killed in one of the two explosions that hit the finish line area of the marathon Monday afternoon. The child’s mother and sister were badly injured in the attack.

In a statement issued through a spokesman Tuesday, Martin’s father Bill Richard said, “My dear son Martin has died from injuries sustained in the attack on Boston. My wife and daughter are both recovering from serious injuries.

“We thank our family and friends, those we know and those we have never met, for their thoughts and prayers. I ask that you continue to pray for my family as we remember Martin. We also ask for your patience and for privacy as we work to simultaneously grieve and recover. Thank you.”

Locals gathered at Dorchester’s Tavolo restaurant last night to grieve the loss.

City Councillor at Large Ayanna Presely told boston.com that the community was supporting the family: “They are beloved by this community. They contribute in many ways. That’s why you see this outpouring. It’s surreal, it’s tragic, it’s incomprehensible. Everyone here tonight is trying to comfort one another and be prayerful.”

Martin’s father Bill is reported to be a community leader in the Ashmont section of Dorchester. It is understood that a third child of the family was unhurt.

Early this morning the death toll from Monday’s atrocity was three, with as many as 170 people injured, at least 17 of them critically.

Walking toward the Boston Marathon finish line this afternoon was a strange and unsettling sight: a mix of oblivious runners who had not yet heard that twin explosions had detonated along Boylston Street, and those who witnessed the chaos but remained in the area, wandering around the littered streets.

“It happened after I crossed the finish line. I got water there was a big boom and everyone went, ‘Oh my God,’ and I turned around and there was a big black plume. A big ball of smoke and then another one,” said Jackie Fairbarren, a marathon runner from Wisconsin.

Fairbarren was visibly shaken as she clutched a heatsheet, which was wrapped loosely around her shoulders. She stood directly under a Family Meeting Area sign with tears and concern in her eyes.

“Everyone was … no one could figure out what was going on. I’m really worried about my kids. I’m waiting for them to find me. I was running faster (than them). My husband and my 15-year-old were at the spot where it went off. I’m waiting at the family area.”

Paul Horton, of Maryville, Tenn., said he crossed the finish line at 1:10 p.m., and had just stepped out of the shower at The Colonnade Boston Hotel when he heard the blasts.

“There were two booms, maybe 12 or 15 seconds apart, but pretty big blasts. I thought they were close to me but apparently it was a couple blocks down,” Horton said. “I heard all the sirens out front I thought maybe someone got hit by a car; six, eight, 10 ambulances went by the hotel. People were standing around everywhere on their phones. I have a buddy running, and tried to get to the finish line to catch him, but got turned away down there.”

A few blocks up, around 3:50 p.m., crowds of onlookers gathered near Copley Square to capture the chaos on their smartphones, despite orders from authorities to clear the area.

Onlookers take photographs of emergency vehicles at Copley Square shortly before a controlled blast. Credit: Morgan Rousseau/Metro

Within moments, a loud, deep boom bellowed through the area. Marathon officials yelled at pedestrians to run, and they did, in all different directions.

Boston Police later reported that a third blast was a controlled water canon.

At 4:30 p.m., Gov. Deval Patrick and Boston Police Commissioner Ed Davis confirmed Monday’s explosions were an attack on the city, although they would not say whether it was being considered an act of terrorism.

“We’re not being definitive,” he said. “You can reach your own conclusions.”

Stay with Metro Boston as this story develops.

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The post UPDATE: Father of Boston Marathon victim Martin Richard, 8, speaks out appeared first on Metro.us.