L’Independent: I familiari di Newtown erano accanto al luogo dell’esplosione. Uno di loro ferito

Dall’Independent di martedì 16 aprile: i familiari delle vittime di Newtown erano a pochi metri dall’esplosione. Uno di loro è tra gli oltre cento feriti. Ecco l’articolo:

Family members of Newtown massacre victims ‘were in VIP seats close to explosions’ at Boston Marathon

Sam Masters

Monday 15 April 2013

The Boston Marathon began with 26 seconds of silence for the victims of the Sandy Hook shootings and a little more than two hours later, lead runners passed through the last mile marker while was decorated with the seal of Newtown, Connecticut, and dedicated to the memory of the 20 children and six adults killed on December 14.

According to the Atlantic Wire, family members of the Newtown victims were seated in the VIP section of the marathon close to where the explosions went off.

Before the race the Boston Athletic Association president Joanne Flaminio said the event had “special significance” as there were 26miles to be run – one for each of the Newtown victims.

There was a group of Newtown parents and residents running as part of a group called Team Newtown Strong who were raising money for local charities. One of them was Mary Ellen Loncto, 71, of Ridgefield, Connecticut, whose husband Denis Loncto told his local paper of his frantic efforts to contact his wife. “It was like every cell phone in the city was going off at the same time,” he said.

Mrs Loncto, a paediatrician, was eventually confirmed uninjured.

Meanwhile, Lisa Abrams, whose husband, Thomas, 58, was one of the nine Team Newtown Strong members, told the Connecticut Post: “Newtown cannot handle any more of this. We don’t need any more stress, no more heartache.”