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Crime & Justice • Terrorism

Dzhokhar Tsarnaev

Dzhokhar Tsarnaev is a Kyrgyzstan-born American convicted in the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing, carried out with his older brother Tamerlan Tsarnaev.

By Ethan Anderson| Reviewed by Olivia Bennett, Standards & Fact-Checking Lead| Updated July 27, 2026|2 min read| Fact-checked

Dzhokhar Tsarnaev is a Kyrgyzstan-born American convicted for his role in the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing, carried out with his older brother Tamerlan Tsarnaev. He was found guilty on all federal counts and sentenced to death in 2015; the sentence was later upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court in 2022.

Early life

Dzhokhar Tsarnaev was born in Tokmok, Kyrgyzstan, on July 22, 1993, and later moved to the United States with his family. Sources describe him as of Chechen descent and an American citizen.

Boston Marathon bombing

On April 15, 2013, Tsarnaev and his brother Tamerlan detonated two homemade bombs near the Boston Marathon finish line. The attack killed three people and injured hundreds, making it one of the most serious terrorist attacks in the United States since 9/11.

Trial and sentencing

Tsarnaev was convicted on all 30 federal charges in 2015. A jury recommended capital punishment, and a federal judge imposed a death sentence and multiple life sentences later that year.

Appeals

Tsarnaev challenged his conviction and sentence on appeal. In 2022, the U.S. Supreme Court reinstated and upheld the death sentence after reviewing the case.

Key facts

  • Tsarnaev and his brother planted pressure-cooker bombs near the finish line of the Boston Marathon on April 15, 2013.
  • The bombing killed three people and injured hundreds more.
  • He was charged in federal court with 30 counts, including use of a weapon of mass destruction resulting in death.
  • A jury found him guilty on all counts in 2015 and recommended the death penalty.
  • In 2022, the U.S. Supreme Court upheld his death sentence.
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Canadian context

The Boston Marathon bombing received extensive coverage in Canada because of its proximity to Canadian audiences, cross-border security concerns, and the international impact of the attack and trial.

Frequently asked questions

Who is Dzhokhar Tsarnaev?
He is a Kyrgyzstan-born American convicted for his role in the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing.
What did Dzhokhar Tsarnaev do?
He and his brother planted and detonated pressure-cooker bombs near the Boston Marathon finish line on April 15, 2013.
How many people were killed in the bombing?
Three people were killed, and hundreds of others were injured.
Was Dzhokhar Tsarnaev convicted?
Yes. He was found guilty on all 30 federal counts related to the bombing.
What sentence did he receive?
He was sentenced to death in 2015 by a federal court.
Did the death sentence remain in place?
Yes. The U.S. Supreme Court upheld the sentence in 2022.

References

  1. Federal Bureau of Investigation — https://www.fbi.gov/history/famous-cases/boston-marathon-bombing
    Supports: Attack details, deaths and injuries, charges, conviction, and sentence
  2. U.S. Supreme Court case record via Justia — https://supreme.justia.com/cases/federal/us/595/20-443/
    Supports: U.S. Supreme Court 2022 decision upholding the death sentence
  3. U.S. Department of Justice — https://www.justice.gov/archives/opa/pr/judge-imposes-death-sentence-boston-marathon-bomber
    Supports: Federal sentencing in 2015
  4. Encyclopaedia Britannica — https://www.britannica.com/biography/Dzhokhar-Tsarnaev
    Supports: Biographical background and identification as a convicted criminal