Julie Whelen was a block-and-a-half away from crossing the finish line at the Boston Marathon when two bombs went off on April 15.
She said it hadn’t completely sunk in when she arrived back home in Winnipeg on Wednesday. She’s now back at work at her veterinary practice, but she said she still can’t get the events of that day out of her mind.
“I just left the house and just heard a bang in the distance somewhere and I just lost it,” she said.
Whelen had been following the coverage on Thursday and Friday of the massive man hunt for the two men suspected in the bombings.
Both men lived near Boston for the past few years, but were born in Chechnya, said officials.
“Terrorism is a worldwide phenomenon, it doesn't recognize national boundaries,” said Public Safety Minister Vic Toews.
Terrorism expert Peter St. John said this could be a case of radicalized youth, and there have been similar cases in Canada.
“This is not terrorism in the classical sense. It's just terror, and it's the terror of the desperate,” he said.
St. John said the two might have suffered trauma from their childhoods in Chechnya and felt disconnected in their new home.
Although Whelen said the bombing has affected her more than she thought, she would not hesitate to attend another large gathering, including the Boston Marathon.
“There will be more security and I think just the regular citizens will be watching out as well,” she said.
She said those who inflict terror won't stop her from doing what she loves.
