A boy from Dorchester, Mass., was killed Monday by one of two bombs detonated at the Boston Marathon. Martin Richard, 8, had accompanied his parents and sister to watch the finish of the annual race near Boston’s Copley Square. Martin was killed by the blast, while his 7-year-old sister, Jane, suffered a severe leg injury. Martin’s mother was also injured in the bombing, Bill Richard said in a statement:

“My dear son Martin has died from injuries sustained in the attack on Boston. My wife and daughter are both recovering from serious injuries.
“We thank our family and friends, those we know and those we have never met, for their thoughts and prayers. I ask that you continue to pray for my family as we remember Martin. We also ask for your patience and for privacy as we work to simultaneously grieve and recover. Thank you.”

Bill Forry of the Dorchester Reporter:

Word of the injuries spread quickly through the Richard family’s tight-knit Ashmont-Adams neighborhood, where both parents are known and respected as civic leaders. Bill Richard served as board chairman of the St. Mark’s Area Main Street group and has played a key role in the transformation of Peabody Square over the last decade. The family is deeply involved in all facets of life in Dorchester, from little league baseball and soccer to their church, St. Ann’s parish in Neponset.

READ MORE:

• Carol D. Leonnig and Debbi Wilgoren, Washington Post: Martin Richard, 8, loved playing with siblings, friends
• Nancy Chen, WDHD-TV, Boston: 8-year-old boy killed in blast, mother and sister injured
• Evan Allen and John R. Ellement, Boston Globe: Dorchester father mourns son; hopes wife and daughter will recover from Boston Marathon injuries