The surviving Boston Marathon bombing suspect Dzhokhar Tsarnaev may face the death sentence after federal prosecutors announced they will seek the maximum penalty on Thursday in Massachusetts, according to the Associated Press.
Prosecutors accused the 20-year-old of 30 federal charges including using a weapon of mass destruction with intent to kill as many people as possible, the AP reported. Seventeen of the 30 charges carry the sentencing of the death penalty.
"Dzhokhar Tsarnaev received asylum from the United States; obtained citizenship and enjoyed the freedoms of a United States citizen; and then betrayed his allegiance to the United States by killing and maiming people in the United States," the notice filed by U.S. Attorney Carmen Ortiz said, the AP reported.
"The nature of the conduct at issue and the resultant harm compel this decision," U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder said in a statement, according to the AP.
Though prosecutors seek the death penalty for Tsarnaev, the state of Massachusetts abolished the state death penalty in 1984, though a federal death penalty is still in place, the AP reported. Attempts to reinstate the death penalty have failed.
The two pressure-cooker bombs placed at the finish line of the Boston Marathon killed three people and wounded 260 with about 16 people who lost limbs due to the blast, the AP reported.
A date for the trial has not been set, but Tsarnaev has pleaded not guilty to all charges, the AP reported. According to legal experts who have reviewed the case filings, Tsarnaev's attorney is likely to argue he was influenced by his older brother. Tsarnaev's lawyer has made no comment on the prosecutor's filings.
The filings also states prosecutors believe Tsarnaev demonstrated a "lack of remorse" and allege he shot and killed and MIT security officer, as well as a "particularly vulnerable" 8-year-old boy, the AP reported.
The prosecutors also stated in the court filings that Tsarnaev had "substantial planning and premeditation" in regards to the attack along with his older brother, and both men chose the marathon because it is "an iconic event that draws large crowds of men, women and children to its final stretch, making it especially susceptible to the act and effects of terrorism," according to the AP.
Prosecutors also claim the attack was carried out to seek revenge against the U.S. for their military actions in Muslim countries, the AP reported.
The court filings also stated authorities found phrases like "The US Government is killing our innocent civilians" and "We Muslims are one body, you hurt one you hurt us all," written inside the boat where Tsarnaev hid before being detained by authorities.
Carol Rose, executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Massachusetts, said the group opposes the death penalty and is planning to object Holder's decision.
"After the horrible marathon attack, this community rallied around the slogan 'Boston Strong,'" Rose said, according to the AP. "Even - and especially in a case like this - that means not letting terrorists or anyone else shake us from staying true to our values."
