Doctor Who Treated Some Boston Marathon Bombing Victims Hopes Tsarnaev Is Sentenced To Death
CAMARILLO (CBSLA.com) — A Camarillo doctor who rendered aid to some of the Boston Marathon bombing victims hopes a jury hands down a death sentence for Dzhokhar Tsarnaev.
Paul Rehder, a dermatologist, and his girlfriend Tawni Gomes will never forget hearing the explosions that killed three and wounded 260 others on April 15, 2013.
"There was chaos. There was screaming. There was confusion. There were people running in many directions," Rehder said.
Rehder ran the 5K the previous day and served as a volunteer at a medical tent 50 yards from the finish line.
"I think I was blessed to be close enough to help a few people. Not close enough to be injured," he said.
As Rehder rendered first aid to the injured, Gomes was standing at the finish line where she was waiting for a friend in the race.
"I don't know what's going on with Paul. I know he can't get a hold of me, so it was a very traumatic … the not knowing," Gomes said.
Rehder and Gomes later learned that the bombing had been an act of terror.
"I was angry. I went through a wave of emotions. Disbelief. How could somebody do this?" she recalls.
Time passed and life went on.
But the traumatic memories recently resurfaced during Tsarnaev's trial.
Wednesday night, the couple celebrated the guilty verdicts.
"No surprise. I was very happy," Rehder said of the verdicts. "Personally, I think he should be sentenced to death."
Since the bombing, Rehder and Gomes have run seven marathons and hope to be back in Boston soon, encouraged by the resilience of the victims and survivors.