Federal authorities charged Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, the surviving suspect in the Boston Marathon bombings, on Monday with using a weapon of mass destruction.
The 19-year-old suspect will be tried in civilian court. While terrorism suspects are usually tried as enemy combatants, White House spokesman Jay Carney cited that because Tsarnaev is a naturalized U.S. citizen, he couldn't be tried in a military court, according to CNN.
CNN also reports that, despite being seriously wounded and sedated, Tsarnaev is answering questions from investigators from his hospital bed by nodding yes or no. He appeared before a magistrate judge on Monday from his hospital room to be formally charged.
The U.S. Justice Department charged the suspect in a criminal complaint in the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts. The Justice Department released a statement today to summarize the charges (via U.S. Justice Department):
"Tsarnaev is specifically charged with one count of using and conspiring to use a weapon of mass destruction (namely, an improvised explosive device or IED) against persons and property within the United States resulting in death, and one count of malicious destruction of property by means of an explosive device resulting in death. The statutory charges authorize a penalty, upon conviction, of death or imprisonment for life or any term of years."
The suspect is accused of killing three people and injuring over a hundred at the Boston Marathon on April 15. After being identified in surveillance footage by federal authorities three days later, the suspect and his brother, Tamerlan Tsarnaev, engaged in a bloody gunfight with law enforcement.
The gunfight left Tamerlan dead, and a massive manhunt ensued for Dzhokhar. Authorities found the suspect seriously wounded and hiding in a boat in Watertown, Massachusetts on Friday night. He was taken into custody and is under heavy security at Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital in Boston.
Massachusetts's U.S. Attorney Carmen Ortiz, said to be aggressive and tough, will lead the prosecution's case against Tsarnaev.
