Boston Marathon bombing survivor, Heather Abbott, said Saturday “it’s very sad” that bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev gave up opportunities he had as a college student and chose the path of violence.
Abbott, who lost part of her leg in the attacks and testified at Tsarnaev’s trial, was on her way home from giving a commencement speech at Southern Connecticut State University when the jury’s decision to sentence Tsarnaev to death came down Friday afternoon.
"I couldn't help but think that Dzhokhar Tsarnaev was in the same position as those students I met that day, and had such a bright future ahead of him," Abbott told NBC’s “Today” show Saturday. "I think it's very sad that he chose this path and gave up all those opportunities, and of course I'm reminded of the deaths that he caused and those opportunities that others had to give up without a choice."
Abbot said though she is happy "the verdict is finally in and it's closer to being over, she doesn't think "there's really a sense of closure here." Abbott said many survivors of the bombings reached out to offer each other support after the verdict was read.
She said she looked for closure a few months ago when testifying at the trial.
"When I reflect back now, closure happened when I decided to move on with my life and I don't think I'll get much more beyond that," Abbott explained.
One of the ways Abbott has moved on is by helping other victims who have lost limbs through the Heather Abbott Foundation.
"It has been tremendous for my healing just to make some sense of what happened and try to do something good with it has helped me heal."
U.S. & World
The bombs placed by Tsarnaev and his older brother Tamerlan at the marathon finish line in 2013 killed three people and injured more than 260 others. A MIT police officer was killed in a shootout with the bombers days later. Tamerlan was also killed.
