Figured it might be useful to have a thread where we try to cobble together all the info relevant to the firearms the Tsarnaev brothers had in their possession and how they were acquired.
I'm assuming they started the Thursday night chase sequence with at least one handgun, given the shooting of MIT campus police officer Sean Collier.
Tamerlan's record indicates an episode of domestic violence in 2009. So he could not have legally acquired a firearm after that incident. And Dzhokhar was 19, so he was too young to legally acquire a handgun (though perhaps he could still legally acquire a long gun in MA?).
It's possible they took any long arm from Collier's patrol car. Which raises the question of whether MIT campus police officers have a shotgun or rifle in their patrol cars. During the sequence of events Thursday night/Friday morning, there was a report of firearms missing from a LEO vehicle - any links to this?
Which brings us to the shootout where Tamerlan was apprehended. From released audio of the shootout, one of the officers is heard shouting 'rifle', so presumably the brothers had a long arm at that point. Presumably this exchange of gunfire (or the chase leading up to it), is when MBTA officer Richard Donohue was shot. I haven't seen anything to indicate whether he was shot with a handgun or a rifle. Also, it is possible that he was hit with friendly fire considering the scene - nighttime, lots of officers, adrenalin, confusion, etc.
Any reports as to firearms recovered at the scene of Tamerlan's apprehension, or firearms recovered from the boat during Dzhokhar's apprehension?
As far as explosives, in the aftermath, I've seen reports they had 6 pipebombs (along with whatever explosive Tamerlan had strapped to his chest). I'm not sure if this is what they were captured with, or if this is the totality of the explosives they had/used that night. During the chase, the media/scanner reports sure made it seem like they had dozens of explosives including grenades. Could just be the fog of misinformation that is common early on.
My hunch is these two did not have any black rifles. If they did, the media would have been screaming about it.
UPDATE: Turns out the only firearm they had was one Ruger 9mm pistol. Obtained illegally. Serial number obliterated. No rifle. The gun grabbers are disappointed, but will try to spin this to their advantage, facts be damned.
I'm assuming they started the Thursday night chase sequence with at least one handgun, given the shooting of MIT campus police officer Sean Collier.
Tamerlan's record indicates an episode of domestic violence in 2009. So he could not have legally acquired a firearm after that incident. And Dzhokhar was 19, so he was too young to legally acquire a handgun (though perhaps he could still legally acquire a long gun in MA?).
It's possible they took any long arm from Collier's patrol car. Which raises the question of whether MIT campus police officers have a shotgun or rifle in their patrol cars. During the sequence of events Thursday night/Friday morning, there was a report of firearms missing from a LEO vehicle - any links to this?
Which brings us to the shootout where Tamerlan was apprehended. From released audio of the shootout, one of the officers is heard shouting 'rifle', so presumably the brothers had a long arm at that point. Presumably this exchange of gunfire (or the chase leading up to it), is when MBTA officer Richard Donohue was shot. I haven't seen anything to indicate whether he was shot with a handgun or a rifle. Also, it is possible that he was hit with friendly fire considering the scene - nighttime, lots of officers, adrenalin, confusion, etc.
Any reports as to firearms recovered at the scene of Tamerlan's apprehension, or firearms recovered from the boat during Dzhokhar's apprehension?
As far as explosives, in the aftermath, I've seen reports they had 6 pipebombs (along with whatever explosive Tamerlan had strapped to his chest). I'm not sure if this is what they were captured with, or if this is the totality of the explosives they had/used that night. During the chase, the media/scanner reports sure made it seem like they had dozens of explosives including grenades. Could just be the fog of misinformation that is common early on.
My hunch is these two did not have any black rifles. If they did, the media would have been screaming about it.
UPDATE: Turns out the only firearm they had was one Ruger 9mm pistol. Obtained illegally. Serial number obliterated. No rifle. The gun grabbers are disappointed, but will try to spin this to their advantage, facts be damned.
