Boston bombing suspect tells authorities he and brother acted alone: CNN report

A report from CNN says that Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, 19, continues to communicate with authorities and has told them that he and his brother acted alone during the Boston Marathon bombing and did not have support from outside terrorist groups.

CNN host Jake Tapper quotes an unnamed source who says that Tsarnaev, so far, has said that no other groups were involved and that the pair led its own operations, in part by watching videos online.

The CNN report says he has also said that his older brother Tamerlan Tsarnaev, 26, was the driving force behind the attacks. Tamerlan Tsarnaev was killed during a police pursuit on the night of Thursday, April 18.

There is no way to tell whether these claims are true. They must be investigated and tested in court.

This report, which CNN posted late Monday, comes after news agencies reported that Tsarnaev was able to communicate with police. There are also reports that injuries to his throat are preventing him from speaking, but he is able to communicate through writing.

On Monday, Tsarnaev was charged with using and conspiring to use a weapon of mass destruction against persons and property within the United States resulting in death, and malicious destruction of property by means of an explosive device resulting in death. These charges come after the bombing near the Boston Marathon finish line, which killed three people and injured nearly 200 more.

Also on Tuesday, family members were hosting a private funeral service for MIT campus security officer Sean Collier, who was killed during a shootout with police and the bombing suspects on Thursday, April 18. A public funeral for Collier is scheduled for Wednesday at MIT.