When he heard the news Monday, Sheanon Williams’ first reaction was to call his father. The Philadelphia Union defender, a native Bostonian, reached for his cell phone and made the frantic call.
“My dad still works downtown and he was working today,” Williams said. “I was mostly concerned with him more than anything. As soon as I found out he was OK, I texted friends and others just to be sure everyone was safe.”
Three were killed and more than 130 were injured by explosions near the finish line of the Boston Marathon Monday, as runners crossed and spectators watched from the sidewalks. Law and political officials are treating the incident as a terrorist attack.
One of the victims who died, according to reports, was an 8-year-old child.
“Me being a dad, if anything were to happen to my two girls, I don’t know what I’d do,” said Williams, 23. “It’s always hurtful and your heart always opens up for that family because they didn’t expect that to happen. They expected to take in Boston and for that to be the end result, it’s definitely tragic.”
There’s a degree of hometown pride associated with Monday’s events — “It’s almost like a holiday for Boston,” Williams said — with students free of classes for Patriots Day and many out-of-towners flocking to the city for one of the nation’s most-revered marathons and an annual 11 a.m. Red Sox game at nearby Fenway Park.
“To see it in my hometown, where I grew up and I still visit, it’s hard,” Williams said.