Local Officials: Bombing Has No Connection to Hopkinton

From Chairman of the Hopkinton Board of Selectmen, Benjamin Palleiko

To the Residents of Hopkinton:

As the magnitude of the events at the Boston Marathon Finish Line on Monday April 15, 2013 continues to unfold, I wanted to express a few thoughts and share some important information.

First and foremost, on behalf of the entire Board of Selectmen, our thoughts and prayers are with the victims and families of the cowardly and despicable act that took place on Monday afternoon.  Our admiration goes out to the first responders and ordinary citizens who reacted to this event and performed so well under such horrific conditions.  We look forward to the identification and apprehension of the person, or persons, responsible.

You should know that once we became aware of the event at the Finish Line in Boston, your public safety officials were in contact with the FBI, Boston Fusion Center and the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency (MEMA) about this event and have been working collaboratively with them to determine if there are any connections to Hopkinton.  At this time, there do not appear to be any concerns related to our town.  As you know, the investigation is ongoing and dynamic. We will continue to work with assigned investigators and, should the need arise, inform the residents of any relevant information.

The events on Monday are surely going to have wide reaching implications. When the after action reports begin to be disseminated there are sure to be recommendations for moving forward.  We will continue to work closely with the BAA in all respects to ensure the future safety of the Marathon.

The FBI continues to request that anyone who may have seen anything suspicious on Monday, who may have any information about anyone who may have made threats against the Marathon, who may have heard explosions in remote areas or may have video or photographic images of the finish line area please contact them.  The number is 1-800-494-TIPS.

Finally, I want to thank the members of our community who have organized and attended the two vigils on the Town Common this week as all of Massachusetts mourns our collective loss.  In the face of such evil, it is important for all of us to remember that perpetrators of events such as this can only achieve their goals if we allow such tragedies to pull us apart in fear and suspicion, rather than bring us closer as a community and a nation.

Sincerely,

Benjamin L. Palleiko, Chair

Board of Selectmen