Teen: I Am Not the Boston Marathon Bomber

[alp227]

Source: ABC

The teenage boy authorities once investigated as possibly being connected to the Boston Marathon bombing told ABC News today he was shocked to see his face pop up on television and all over social media.

Salah Barhoun, 17, said he went to the police yesterday to clear his name after he found himself tagged in pictures online. He had just gone to watch the race, he said, but soon after the explosions, he was singled out by internet sleuths as looking suspicious. Federal authorities passed around images of Barhoun, attempting to learn more information about him, sources told ABC News.

Today The New York Post ran a story featuring a picture of Barhoun and another man circled in red, but said it was unclear if they were the same as two potential suspects spotted by law enforcement Wednesday.

ABC News producers found Barhoun through social media and spoke to him today at his home. He said he had actually wanted to run the race and when he couldn't, decided to watch.

Read more: http://abcnews.go.com/Blotter/teen-boston-marathon-bomber/story?id=18990057

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If this kid wins a libel lawsuit against the NY (Com)Post, he can probably pay off all 4 years of college.

[Spitfire of ATJ]

1. We all KNOW how he looks.

[Carolina]

2. poor kid

a bit swarthy, "one of them" kind of names...

Damn profiling!

[Yo_Mama]

16. They didn't know his name

The reason he was picked out was for the bag type and apparent load, positioning, etc.

Realistically, the authorities have to do this type of thing, but it is not profiling. They'll just go through all the video bit by bit and try to track any remotely possible people down, plus people they think might have been in a position where they might have seen something useful to the investigation.

If you think about it, innocent persons are more likely to be picked out first, because of course they didn't know there would be a bomb in a backpack, and they wouldn't worry about trying to be discreet. They'd just be very happily walking around without a care in the world lugging their backpacks.

In any case, the amateurs had already picked him out and put up the pics I think early yesterday - long before the papers got hold of it.

It might by this time make more sense for the authorities to ask people who were there with backpacks just to contact them so that they can work through the elimination process.

[SoapBox]

3. Sue, Sue, Sue the filthy bastards at that rag.

...stunning that rags like the Post can ruin someone's life.

[smirkymonkey]

22. Oh yes, Please!

[El Supremo]

4. But, but... it was in the paper! >>

[Warpy]

8. That's why the picture was published

So either an innocent kid would come forth and identify himself or a guilty one would be identified by acquaintances and forked over to the FBI.

The only thing the Post did wrong was try to be witty about it and fail.

[idwiyo]

21. Did you forget sarcasm smilie? Hard to tell this days...

[Sunlei]

5. He did the right thing by going to the police immediately.

[olddots]

6. you can't sue anything Murdoch owns

he learned everything from Hearst who didn't invent scum journalism but perfected it .

[Eleanors38]

15. Annie Oakley shot Hearst down repeatedly, but nearly bankrupted herself by doing so.

That was in the days when one's reputation was life itself, and she went after every Hearst rag and won or received settlements in 55 cases. The rumor -- she stole Cocaine from a "Negro's" trousers -- was blown out of the water early on, but she didn't settle for apologies.

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/features/general-article/oakley-paper/


"She once turned and left a South Carolina courtroom, telling opposing attorneys that this would give 'you gentlemen who are such gallant defenders of woman's honor a chance to further your cowardice by shooting me in the back.'"

Oakley was considered the first modern American "super star." She didn't take no shit.

[KittyWampus]

20. What a great snippet! Got to read the article it's from.

[cbdo2007]

7. I doubt he would win a libel case just for "looking suspicious".....

Everyone who was there should go to the police to clear their names immediately, otherwise they're all suspects.

[Nuclear Unicorn]

9. The best thing to do in a sad situation

[CalFresh]

10. Who

is the other guy? The teenage kid did not say (we) are not the bombers. And it's the other guy who has a backpack in one photo and it looks like it missing in the next photo. I hope they find the killers soon who ever they are.

[librechik]

11. Murdoch's goons profiling for Arab looking young men? I'm shocked!

this is horrible.

[TomCADem]

23. Was there any retraction or apology?

I wonder.

[angrychair]

12. Again....what.the.hell.

I've said this before, these stereotypes do not help us. So far the only "suspects" I've heard about have been people of color. Have they already eliminated the tens of thousands do white people already? Hate to make it a race thing but its hard not to when all the "suspects" are people of color. Haven't heard of them searching a single white person's home yet. Being a lttle tongue-in-cheek about it but I think it might be helpful to expand the possibilities beyond people of color at this point.

[Yo_Mama]

17. On the pics I saw there were several white males marked.

The kid in blue here was next to a guy with a backpack that looked like a real possibility.

[gateley]

13. Poor kid. I'm glad it's NEWS he's not involved.

[Dollface]

14. I hope he isn't attacked by a bunch of yahoos. He probably shouldn't venture out for a few days.

[Coyotl]

18. Why do you think he has been libeled?

[Quantess]

19. Poor guy would be well advised to avoid going out in public

until the real perps are apprehended.