Carlos Arredondo - it may be safe to say we all would STILL be waiting for a break in the investigation, and the two brother terrorists would be long gone from Massachusetts.

Arredondo is the guy in the cowboy hat seen leaping over the barricades pulling down some fencing so the EMTs could get thru, then he turned to the first victim near him who turned out to be Jeff Bauman. Carlos put out his burning shirt and made a tourniquet for his missing legs, grabbed the nearest person with a wheelchair and helped hold Jeff together literally as they wheeled him to an ambulance...the first casualty to leave the scene and head to a hospital.

Police began the daunting task of sifting thru mountains of video to figure out if they could identify any suspicious activity or persons. Jeff came out of surgery and right away asked for paper. He remembered "Black Cap" setting down the backpack at his feet and described him to investigators. That was the break police needed. They were able to zero in on that detail and soon found the clips that showed the two potential suspects. The photos were given to the press and within one day the suspects had panicked and bolted.

The MIT cop shooting, carjacking, shooting spree thru Watertown and manhunt culminating with the younger brothers dramatic capture last night in that backyard boat ended what would have gone very differently but for two regular guys that became heros.
There are many many first responders, police, fire, FBI,ATF, and officials who all deserve praise for their work. But there are also many just regular folks - I'd call them "primary responders" - who, in desperate moments of crisis - found the strength and courage to do great things.

Jeff and Carlos changed history.


--FTC

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P.S. there is a fund set up to help get Jeff back to college:
From Chancellor Marty Meehan:
"We have established the UMass Lowell Boston Marathon Scholarship Fund, which will benefit any member of the University community, including their families and alumni, who has been affected and wants to pursue an education here.
Anyone who is interested in making a donation to the scholarship fund should contact

Danielle_Callahan@uml.edu <mailtoanielle_Callahan@uml.edu?Subject=UMass%20Lowell%20Boston%20Marathon%20Scholarship%20Fund%20Established> .

Danielle_Callahan@uml.edu