Boston Marathon bombing volunteer first responder Carlos Arredondo holds a 鈥淏oston Strong鈥� banner as he leaves the Moakley Federal court with his wife Melida after the verdict in the penalty phase of the trial of Boston Marathon bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, Friday, May 15, 2015. The federal jury ruled that the 21-year-old Tsarnaev should be sentenced to death by lethal injection for his role in the deadly 2013 attack. Carlos is credited with saving the life of bombing survivor Jeff Bauman, who lost both of his legs in the blast. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)
BOSTON, United States 鈥� Survivors of the Boston Marathon bombings said justice had been served but reacted with mixed emotions after a jury handed down the death penalty verdict to convicted killer Dzhokhar Tsarnaev.
搁贰础顿:听Boston Marathon bomber sentenced to death
鈥淗e鈥檚 going to go to hell. That鈥檚 where he wanted to go,鈥� said Michael Ward, a firefighter who was off duty at the time of the April 15, 2013 attacks but who treated victims at the scene.
鈥淚 remember when those bombs went off and I remember the vile, disgusting thing that this person did,鈥� he told reporters almost immediately after the sentence was handed down following 14 hours of jury deliberations.
鈥淭his is a matter of justice,鈥� he said. 鈥淣o one鈥檚 here celebrating. If you ask 10 people you鈥檒l get 10 different opinions,鈥� he said.
鈥淏ut ultimately, justice has prevailed today鈥� He wanted to go to hell and he鈥檚 going to get there early,鈥� he added.
Liz Norden, whose two adult sons each lost a leg in the attacks at the marathon finish line, said she would be there 鈥渆very step of the way鈥� if ever afforded the option of watching Tsarnaev be put to death.
鈥淚 feel justice for my kids,鈥� she told reporters. 鈥淚t feels like a weight has been lifted off my shoulders.鈥�
Ballroom dancer and amputee Adrianne Haslet-Davis tweeted: 鈥淢y heart is with our entire survivor community. I am thrilled with the verdict!鈥�
Yet there was also an element of surprise and sadness over the sentence.
The death sentence was possible only under federal law. The state of Massachusetts outlawed capital punishment in 1947 and opinion polls had suggested residents favored a life sentence for Tsarnaev.
Some survivors, including the parents of eight-year-old victim Martin Richard, had publicly opposed the death penalty, worried that years, if not decades, of prospective appeals would dredge up their agony.
No peace
The Richard parents reportedly left court聽on Friday聽declining to comment. Outside the federal courthouse, a small group of US veterans and anti-death penalty protesters expressed anger and disappointment.
Melida Arredondo, her eyes hidden behind dark glasses, conceded she had conflicted emotions about the decision, mainly she said, because of the ongoing process that countless appeals would entail.
Laurie Scher said the long, exhausting trial had 鈥渂een healing鈥� and helped her to forge strong friendships with other survivors, but said the prospect of his execution brought 鈥渘o鈥� relief.
鈥淚 have my personal feelings about that and I鈥檇 like to keep them to myself,鈥� Scher told reporters.
鈥淚鈥檓 sure at one time in his life, he was a very lovely, caring young man,鈥� she said. 鈥淗e turned into a monster. Why did that happen? We鈥檒l never know. My feelings on him are nothing but 鈥� what can I say?鈥�
Heather Abbott, who lost her left leg below the knee in the bombings and who set up a foundation to help victims obtain prosthetic limbs, found only sadness in the verdict.
鈥淭he verdict, regardless of which one it turned out to be, doesn鈥檛 bring me peace,鈥� she wrote on her foundation鈥檚 Facebook page.
鈥淚t brings sadness and cause to reflect, again, on just how senseless all of the deaths and injuries that resulting from this situation are.鈥�
Karen Brassard, who went to the marathon with her husband and daughter to cheer on a friend, welcomed the decision but said she would be praying for the jury and recognized what an 鈥渦nbelievably difficult鈥� job it had been.
The entire family of three was hurt in the attacks.
The verdict, she said, made her feel like she could breathe again.
鈥淗appy is not the word I would use. There鈥檚 nothing happy about having to take someone鈥檚 life,鈥� she said.