Boston Mayor Marty Walsh Reacts To The Sentence

On Friday, a handful of jurors sentenced Boston bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev to death for his role in the 2013 Boston Marathon bombings, which injured hundreds and killed three. (A fourth victim was shot by Tsarnaev and his late brother Tamerlan in the hours afterwards.) Less than an hour after the sentence was announced, Boston mayor Marty Walsh reacted to news of Tsarnaev's sentence with a statement that didn't betray his support, or lack thereof, of the death penalty; Walsh had thus far refused to publicly comment on what he thought was a fitting conclusion to the trial.

I want to thank the jurors and the judiciary for their service to our community and our country. I hope this verdict provides a small amount of closure to the survivors, families, and all impacted by the violent and tragic events surrounding the 2013 Boston Marathon. We will forever remember and honor those who lost their lives and were affected by those senseless acts of violence on our City. Today, more than ever, we know that Boston is a City of hope, strength and resilience, that can overcome any challenge.

The statement is fitting: Rather than focus on the devastation of the day and what came after it, and whether the death of Tsarnaev will in any way help mitigate the pain of the bombings, Walsh said simply that his thoughts were with those affected. This implicitly refers to, among others, the parents of 8-year-old Martin Richard, who had said publicly and frequently that they didn't want Tsarnaev to be put to death.

Walsh told Huffington Post Live that in days leading up to the trial that he would "make [his] feelings known" after the sentence had been formally handed down, so you can expect to hear more from Walsh shortly.