With events unfolding, Missouri State University student Lindsey Kolb shares her thoughts about what is now known about the suspects behind the Boston Marathon bombing.

After Monday’s tragic event at the finish line of the Boston Marathon, three people were killed and 180 others were seriously injured. With last night’s shooting of the police officer at MIT, that makes two more deaths–the police officer and the alleged first shooter/bomber. FoxNews reports that shortly after the FBI released photos of the suspects from the Boston Marathon bombing, the suspects robbed a convenience store, carjacked a man who later escaped, and then engaged in a wild shootout with police where one police officer was killed. The first shooter was seriously injured and then died. Suspect number two is still on the loose in the Boston area and police report that he is “armed and dangerous.” The Boston area has been shut down and the police encourage everyone to stay inside on lockdown until the catch the second shooter. The second shooter has been identified as Dzhokhar A Tsarnaev, a 19 year old from Cambridge, Massachussets.

It was just reported that the two bombers were Russian brothers of Chechen descent, most notably known for being of the Islamic faith. For a majority of people–especially the media–this will surely entice a discussion and an outbreak of “Islam Terror,” much like the racism and discrimination that happened to Islamic people in the US after the terrorist attacks of 9/11. I would encourage you all to think twice before making false accusations about all Islamic people being terrorists–because they’re not. We cannot blame the Islamic faith for these terrorist attacks in the past, and for these tragic events that are being characterized as terrorist attacks this week. We can’t blame Christianity for the actions of the Westboro Baptist Church protesting at soldier’s funerals; similarly, we cannot blame an entire religious group based off the actions of a few individuals.

The story will continue to unfold in the hours, days, and weeks before us. Just like the other shootings at Sandy Hook, Columbine, Virginia Tech, Aurora, Waco, and others in the United States, this story will probably be in the spotlight for many weeks to come. The sad part about the press covering these stories for weeks at nonstop rates is that it will do exactly what the shooters/bombers wanted out of the accident–to cause pain to the American people as well as glory to them for their deeds. Let us mourn with the families and friends of those affected and not exploit them in this tragic time. But for now, the rest of us must wait for more details about the shooters/bombers, the shooter still on the loose, their motives, and the victims that were affected.