Boston Marathon bombing

=== Conspiracy theories ===
A number of [[Conspiracy Theories|conspiracy theories]] arose in the immediate wake of the attacks and after more information about the Tsarnaev brothers came to light.<ref name=":1">{{Cite journal|last=Michael|first=George|date=2014-03-22|title=Conspiracy in Boston: disentangling Boston Marathon bombing conspiracy theories|url=https://go.gale.com/ps/i.do?p=AONE&sw=w&issn=10639330&v=2.1&it=r&id=GALE%7CA372691228&sid=googleScholar&linkaccess=abs|journal=Skeptic (Altadena, CA)|language=English|volume=19|issue=2|pages=16–28}}</ref> This can be common in the aftermath of acts of domestic terrorism, especially the [[September 11 attacks]].<ref>{{Cite news|last=Graff|first=Garrett M.|date=2020-09-10|title=9/11 and the Rise of the New Conspiracy Theorists|language=en-US|work=[[The Wall Street Journal]]|url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/9-11-and-the-rise-of-the-new-conspiracy-theorists-11599768458|access-date=2021-04-26|issn=0099-9660}}</ref> 

[[Stella Tremblay]], then a member of the [[New Hampshire]] [[New Hampshire House of Representatives|House of Representatives]] from [[Auburn, New Hampshire|Auburn]], New Hampshire, claimed the Boston Marathon bombing was a government conspiracy and that victims who lost their legs were faking their injuries because they were not "screaming in agony." Under pressure afterwards she resigned. The New Hampshire House then unanimously passed a resolution to show support for the victims and to disavow unfounded speculation or accusations.<ref>{{cite news| publisher=huffingtonpost.com| date=June 21, 2013| title=Stella Tremblay Resigns From New Hampshire Legislature| author=John Celock| url=https://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/06/20/stella-tremblay-resigns_n_3473583.html}}</ref><ref>{{cite news| publisher = cbsnews.com| date = June 20, 2013| title = NH Lawmaker Resigns After Saying Government Behind Boston Bombings| url =https://www.cbsnews.com/boston/news/nh-lawmaker-resigns-after-saying-government-behind-boston-bombings}}</ref>

In the days following the attacks, some conspiracy theories arose on the internet claiming they were [[false flag attacks]] committed by the United States government.<ref>{{Cite news|date=2017-05-17|title=How a University of Washington researcher discovered an "information war"|language=en-GB|work=BBC News|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-39930236|access-date=2021-04-26}}</ref> As more information about the backgrounds of the Tsarnaev Brothers came to light, further conspiracy theories were disseminated. One claim, made by Dzhokhar Tsarnaev's defense attorney as well as some journalists, was that the FBI had tried to recruit Tamerlan Tsarnaev as an FBI informant in 2011.<ref name="GuardianBirthplace" /><ref name="SullivanAP04192013" /><ref name="thestarCarus" /><ref name="NYTimes04192013" /> The FBI denied this claim in a press release, stating that "the Tsarnaev brothers were never sources for the FBI nor did the FBI attempt to recruit them as sources".<ref>{{Cite web|title=Joint Release from Massachusetts Law Enforcement Agencies|url=https://www.fbi.gov/boston/press-releases/2013/joint-release-from-massachusetts-law-enforcement-agencies|access-date=2021-04-26|website=FBI|language=en-us}}</ref> The FBI is not required to release information on informants, and classified information on sources of intelligence constitutes an exception to the 25-year declassification window established by [[Executive Order 13526]].<ref>{{Cite web|date=2016-08-15|title=The President Executive Order 13526|url=https://www.archives.gov/isoo/policy-documents/cnsi-eo.html|access-date=2021-04-26|website=National Archives|language=en}}</ref>

In 2011, [[2011 Waltham triple murder|a triple murder]] took place in [[Waltham, Massachusetts]], in which a friend of Tamerlan Tsarnaev was one of the victims.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2018-04-13|title=Is the Waltham Triple Murder Investigation At A Dead End?|url=https://www.wgbh.org/news/2018/04/12/news/waltham-triple-murder-investigation-dead-end|access-date=2021-04-26|website=News|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |title=Police probe possible link between Marathon bomber and unsolved triple homicide in Waltham |url=https://www.boston.com/uncategorized/noprimarytagmatch/2013/04/22/police-probe-possible-link-between-marathon-bomber-and-unsolved-triple-homicide-in-waltham-2|access-date=2021-04-26|work=[[The Boston Globe]] |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Boston Bombing Brings Twist to Cold Murder Case|url=https://abcnews.go.com/Blotter/boston-bombing-brings-twist-cold-murder-case/story?id=19063282|access-date=2021-04-26|website=ABC News|language=en}}</ref> After the 2013 attacks, the investigation was reopened with Tamerlan Tsarnaev as a new suspect.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2013-04-22|title=Boston Bomber Suspected of Killing Three Men, Two of Whom Were Jewish|url=https://www.tabletmag.com/sections/news/articles/boston-bomber-suspected-in-triple-homicide|access-date=2021-04-26|website=Tablet Magazine|language=en}}</ref> The failure of the 2011 investigation to identify Tamerlan Tsarnaev as a major suspect led to claims among conspiracy theorists that the investigation of the 2011 triple murder had been suppressed by the FBI in order to maintain Tsarnaev's informant status. Theorists also cite the fact that the FBI has been criticized for an alleged practice under former director [[James Comey]] of encouraging confidential informants to attempt terrorist attacks.<ref>{{Cite web|last1=Aaronson|date=March 16, 2015|first1=Trevor|title=How the FBI Created a Terrorist|url=https://theintercept.com/2015/03/16/howthefbicreatedaterrorist/|access-date=2021-04-26|website=The Intercept|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal|last=Kamali|first=Sara|date=2017-02-28|title=Informants, Provocateurs, and Entrapment: Examining the Histories of the FBI's PATCON and the NYPD's Muslim Surveillance Program|url=https://ojs.library.queensu.ca/index.php/surveillance-and-society/article/view/informants|journal=Surveillance & Society|language=en|volume=15|issue=1|pages=68–78|doi=10.24908/ss.v15i1.5254|issn=1477-7487|doi-access=free}}</ref> This alleged practice, combined with disputed claims of connections between the Tsarnaev brothers and intelligence services,<ref name="GuardianBirthplace" /><ref>{{Cite news|date=2021-03-09|title=Former CIA officer: 'Absurd' to link uncle of Boston suspects, Agency |work=Al-Monitor |url=http://backchannel.al-monitor.com/index.php/2013/04/5090/former-cia-officer-absurd-to-link-uncle-of-boston-suspects-agency-over-daughters-brief-marriage/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210309205011/http://backchannel.al-monitor.com/index.php/2013/04/5090/former-cia-officer-absurd-to-link-uncle-of-boston-suspects-agency-over-daughters-brief-marriage/|url-status=dead|archive-date=2021-03-09|access-date=2021-04-26}}</ref> have given rise to a conspiracy theory that the United States government had foreknowledge of the Tsarnaev brothers' plans to commit a terrorist attack, or that the attack was made at the direction of intelligence services.<ref name=":1" /> The Tsarnaev brother's uncle, Said-Hussein Tsarnaev, and other members of the Tsarnaev family have repeated this theory, as well as claiming neither brother actually committed the attacks.<ref>{{Cite magazine|title=Exclusive: Relatives of Boston Marathon Bomber Break Their Silence|url=https://time.com/3824265/boston-marathon-bombing-dzhokhar-tsarnaev-family/|access-date=2021-04-26|magazine=Time}}</ref> This claim also formed an element of Dzhokhar Tsarnaev's legal defense.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Tsarnaev denied extremism to FBI two years before Marathon bombing|url=https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/tsarnaev-denied-extremism-fbi-said-mystery-men-came-see-him-n744881|access-date=2021-04-26|website=NBC News|date=April 10, 2017 |language=en}}</ref> No evidence or further claims supporting this theory have been confirmed by any US government agencies.<ref name=":1" />