a resilience carmen witnessed the first time she visited her sister in the hospital. >> and i just like, you know, gave her a kiss on the forehead, and i was like -- she looked at me and she's like, i can't believe i didn't see you finish this thing. >> reporter: in all of this? >> in all of this. she just found out she lost both legs and she said that. and i was like, celeste, i'm going to be with you every step of the way to get you back on your feet and to be able to conquer this. and i will. i mean, that's what we do anyway, you know. that's our family. we have a really special family. >> kevin, i know you're looking at a very long, long recovery time here for both your wife and daughter. what do you need? >> what occurs to i think anybody in this situation is how are we going to afford to pay for everything. but the overwhelming response from the community -- out of nowhere are texting and tweeting

and donating to the family website. so you realize that with their help you are going to be able to get through this and pay the bills. >> reporter: grateful for the help of others, but most grateful to still have each other. >> it just hits you like life will never be the same but she can still hug me and i still have her. she's my very best friend, and i'm just so thankful to have her in whatever capacity that i do. >> reporter: and after all they have been through, kevin corcoran has a message for those responsible for this tragedy. >> you didn't succeed in your objective. we're still going to be there and there's nothing that you can do to quell the human spirit. and you failed. you failed at what you did. >> don't know how these families are possibly coping. we have put a link to their family website that he mentioned on our website tonight for all those wishing to help the corcoran family in the days and

tough weeks ahead. when the all-clear was sounded tonight in boston, the president spoke from the white house briefing room. we'll have part of that for you coming up next. [ male announcer ] why is kellogg's crunchy nut so delicious? because every flake is double-toasted... splashed with sweet honey... and covered in rich double-roasted peanuts. mmm. [ hero ] yummy. [ male announcer ] kellogg's crunchy nut. it's super delicious!

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that is just one scene of celebration in boston tonight. right after they got the all-clear and right after the officials held their press conference tonight, the president used that as his cue to walk into the white house briefing room. here's part of what he said to the nation. >> we will determine what happened. we will investigate any associations that these terrorists may have had. and we'll continue to do whatever we have to do to keep our people safe. one thing we do know is that whatever hateful agenda drove these men to such heinous acts will not and cannot prevail. whatever they thought they could ultimately achieve, they've already failed. they failed because the people of boston refused to be intimidated. they failed because as americans we refuse to be terrorized. they failed because we will not waver from the character and the compassion and the values that

define us as a country. nor will we break the bonds that hold us together as americans. >> white house said, by the way, the president was doing tonight what the whole country seemed to be doing tonight. he was sitting in the white house residence for his part and he was watching all of these live developments unfold on television. a restaurant called the forum on boylston street in boston has become something of a grim landmark of this tragedy after one of the bombs, after all, blew up right outside its patio. but the restaurant also played host to some of the very best spirit of boston as the staff there sprung in to action before the smoke had even cleared. harry smith went to visit the people who run a bar where everybody really does know your name. >> reporter: all week long, we

have been looking at pictures of forum restaurant, site of monday's second explosion. this is what it looked like before the blast, cheering fans, celebrating the marathon and patriots day. until now, we haven't heard from the people working inside. forum is still a crime scene. so we met at another location. what was it like in the restaurant monday morning? >> it was exciting. i remember getting in just before 8:00 and turning the music up. it was just very upbeat, sunny day. >> reporter: chris loper is the general manager of forum. 200 yards from the marathon finish line. >> it was just such a beautiful day. everyone is excited for the marathon, to watch the race, and for the red sox game, and then to -- >> reporter: julie weeden is a former forum bartender who came

back to work just for patriots day. >> what did you write on your facebook page? >> 6:00 in the morning, i wrote "coming back for one last special stint at my favorite bar in my favorite city on my favorite day." >> reporter: no one had an inkling what about what was about to happen. the restaurant and its patio out front were getting more crowded by the minute. where were you when you heard the first explosion? >> i was two feet behind the host stand in the front of the restaurant. >> reporter: what did you think? >> i thought it was a cannon or some sort of celebration, something or other. >> reporter: joshua glover is an assistant manager. he says after the initial blast up the street most of the restaurant's patrons moved toward the front to try to figure out what was going on. it was the worst place they could be. >> where were you when the first explosion happened? >> right in front right by the v.i.p. section. and i thought it kind of shook the building a little bit. people all around me started

pressing forward to crane their necks to look down the street at what it was. >> reporter: james maderas is forum's gm. before anyone could understand the source of the explosion a second blom bomb blew up directly in front of the restaurant. second explosion happens. what's the first thing you remember? >> i was looking out and there's a mailbox right there and i was looking at the mailbox when it blew up. so i saw the actual -- just the orange fire. just it looked like a huge like firecracker, like an m-80 or something. and you just see it, it blossoms. as loud as the first one was, the second one i don't ever recall hearing it, to be honest with you. i just remember my mouth was full of grit. like all of a sudden for some reason like dirt or dust or something. my mouth was gritty and dirty. you're like oh, my god, is this really happening. and just people are falling. there's glass everywhere. so i was just worried about people falling on the glass. and everybody's running toward the back and people are diving

behind couches. and it was just the most anarchic scene i've ever seen. it was just chaos. it was crazy. >> reporter: heather gilbo was also bartending that day. >> i remember it hitting me that it was something someone was trying to hurt people. it was intentional. this was the second explosion. i remember screaming. and then i remember getting my bearings and looking up and just seeing people run. >> reporter: the able-bodied and slightly injured rushed out the back exit but not the employees. they stayed, facing a scene of carnage that was difficult to comprehend. julie, does anything prepare you for witnessing what you witnessed? >> no. no. you literally just -- it's instinct and you just go and do what you can to help people. the first thing i did was checked on my friends that were on the ground, and then i grabbed ice and towels. and then i went out to the front and that's when i just saw complete, you know, nightmare, massacre. there was blood. there was people on the streets, on the sidewalks, you know, on the patio. you know, there was a body part

here that i saw and there was something else over there, but there was just so much blood. and you don't stop and think. you don't give yourself the chance to realize what is actually going on. >> reporter: forum employees became first responders. >> the most injured people were out just in front of the patio but because of the uncertainty they were -- people were bringing them into the restaurant to try to aid them. there were members of our staff that were right there, holding on to people. taking their belts off to stop, you know, bleeding and different things like that. >> reporter: many of the people the forum staff helped were strangers. others they knew well, quite well, like julie's friend heather abbott. >> she's actually in the hospital right now. she was getting surgery today. they were trying to reattach her foot. >> all of it is so traumatic, but to have somebody you know, have a friend of yours almost have --

>> you feel guilty. >> you feel guilty? >> uh-huh. >> why would you feel guilty? >> i'm thinking that she's there to see me. >> reporter: forum became a makeshift triage center, aiding and comforting the wounded was the only concern. >> you talk about like what people did to help and you say like were we bandaging up the injuries and stuff like that. and my most enduring image is our bartender, he was sitting on the floor. and he had an injured woman's help on his lap. and he was just stroking her hair, comforting her. and that to me was all she needed.

in a horrible time, it was a beautiful thing to see. just something so simple. >> what makes you say i'm staying here, i'm going to help these people? >> i think it's just human nature. it's the nature of the people that work at forum. it's the nature of a lot of people from boston. it's -- you see someone hurting and you want to help. >> reporter: an instinct so strong that even when they were ordered to leave no one budged. >> it was funny, once the police came in, i remember so vividly them saying everyone get out, everyone get out. and us saying no. it was one of the few times that you could say that to a police officer. >> in language perhaps a little more colorful than that? >> perhaps a little more bostonian and color than that, yes, sir. >> reporter: only one forum

employee was seriously hurt, but he's doing fine. the reality of what happened monday is still sinking in. >> it's amazing to me that more people weren't killed in that explosion. it's amazing to me that more people weren't hurt. like i look at the pictures of them prying out ball bearings out of the awning at work, and i know that there was nothing between me and that explosion. like i don't know how it didn't -- i'm lucky i'm alive. i'm lucky i wasn't hurt. lucky these guys aren't hurt. you know, it's amazing. >> at the end of the day after i had a chance to reflect on everything i was angry. i was so angry. you know, people took this great day, this great holiday, this amazing day. it's everyone's favorite day in boston. and ruined it. >> stunning to me to think you really are at the heart of the terror and you all stayed.

are you heros? >> no. >> no. >> you know like some people have asked -- said what we did was heroic. and the way i look at it is we were in the wrong place at the wrong time but we did the right thing. >> our thanks, in more ways than one, to the staff of forum restaurant, a good place to stop in if you find yourself on boylston in boston. and about what we've just been through now that the smoke has quite literally cleared, we are joined tonight by james cavanaugh, former special agent of atf. he's with us from nashville. and mr. cavanaugh, i'm curious about -- now looking at this in our rearview mirror, what worried you most about the lessons we've just learned about these two guys, what they were able to do, and what has cheered you most about the way it was resolved? >> well, brian, i think the thing that worried me most after it broke, and tuesday, was that this is the beginning of a bombing campaign. and i think it really was. and that's evidenced by the

pressure cooker that was tossed at the watertown police and the eight smaller improvised hand grenades that these guys had already made. these things were in the cache before the marathon bombs were planted. you know, these bombers, they come right out of the hallways of hell. they plant them in the crowd, vicious devices, and if they had got away they would do it again. so the calculation for the commanders on tuesday, i've been there before on the sniper case. i had been there on the eric rudolph case. i'd been there on a series of bombings on abortion clinics and other killers. and i always knew that you've got to watch, they're coming back. and the key for them to release that picture and leverage the citizens in the digital age and leverage the power of the media. i said on one of the nbc shows they'll have them wrapped up. they'll know who they are before the sun rises on the boston harbor. and it was only a few hours. >> so we'll take that. i agree with you on both. sadly, i think you're right that

we stumbled across and interrupted a bombing campaign. more than stumbled across, they brought it to us. and i agree with you that this was the first of a new era. crowd-sourced social media use in a manhunt. and in this case the good guys won in the end. mr. cavanaugh, thank you very much for being with us tonight from nashville, tennessee. >> thank you, brian. >> we'll take another break. we'll check in with kate snow after this. we have been relying heavily on the coverage of one of our sister networks new england cable news during this entire crisis in the boston area, and tonight one of their reporters, scott yount, got closer than the others and heard a lot as this unfolded. scott, where were you, and you could actually hear the s.w.a.t. teams at least trying to talk to the suspect, correct? >> yeah, brian. we were behind the -- the house where they had converged initially. and we saw the firefight. there were a number of shots fired. they were firing at the suspect. apparently, he was firing back

according to some police officers that i spoke to. then we saw the flash bombs going off, or the flash-bangs, i believe they are called. they were trying to stun him. and all that time we could hear a single officer yelling to him, yelling the suspect's name and he would say, "you're hurt.

we have been relying heavily on the coverage of one of our sister networks new england cable news during this entire crisis in the boston area, and tonight one of their reporters, scott yount, got closer than the others and heard a lot as this unfolded. scott, where were you, and you could actually hear the s.w.a.t. teams at least trying to talk to the suspect, correct? >> yeah, brian. we were behind the -- the house where they had converged initially. and we saw the firefight. there were a number of shots fired. they were firing at the suspect. apparently, he was firing back according to some police officers that i spoke to. then we saw the flash bombs going off, or the flash-bangs, i believe they are called. they were trying to stun him. and all that time we could hear a single officer yelling to him, yelling the suspect's name and he would say, "you're hurt.

you need a doctor. you need to give yourself up. come out with your hands up." >> and scott, i have to tell you, we heard a negotiator was going in, and i was amazed there was still a living suspect to be negotiated with after those two volleys of gunfire. i don't quite understand what transpired. >> yeah. we haven't been able to find out exactly. but what i can tell you is it was amazing to see all of these law enforcement officials work so professionally in concert, in tandem with the officials that were calling the shots about what they were doing to go in and isolate the suspect because as you know they wanted to take this guy alive and they did. >> it seems they did. it seemed that this one aspect, at least, everything worked. we were fortunate tonight.

scott, you heard way more than i'm sure the s.w.a.t. teams bargained for. but thank you for your firsthand reporting, from your firsthand reporting tonight. scott yount from new england cable news. thank you very much. kate snow has been in watertown tonight. and kate, tomorrow it seems to me gets very interesting because while the temptation tonight, and who can blame them, is to be happy. there was a resolution tonight. we've got a suspect. he's in serious condition. he's in the hospital. that cloud of oh, my goodness, all of these victims stay with us, they stay in the lives of boston, and then the investigation gets underway in earnest. >> reporter: right. and let's not forget both of those things. the investigators are going to have a huge task ahead of them. we've been talking to former fbi officials who say, look, they're going to have to now go through and sift through all of that evidence that they gathered.

we saw them taking computers and other evidence out of homes over the course of today and yesterday. so they'll go through that, they'll try to figure out who these young men were in contact with. what their communication was about. what their online activity was about. they'll be talking to their family and friends and trying to get a sense for when they may have flipped to wanting to hurt people. they'll be talking of course to the survivor who's in the hospital. the surviving accused terrorist. they'll be talking to him about everything he did. but let's not also forget that as you say, brian, there were 176 people wounded here. three people died. on monday in the marathon bombing. and that's i think going to haunt this city for a long time to come. people are recovering. people are happy tonight and relieved and less anxious. but there are still a lot of

people in the hospital. tonight 54 people remain hospitalized. two of them are children. a lot of them lost limbs. they're going to have a long recovery ahead of them. one hopeful note, brian, just to mention, there's a lot of u.s. military people have been coming here already and offering support. people who lost limbs in the war coming here now and trying to help these victims to move on with their lives and telling them they will run once again. >> yeah, that's one of the truly tragic after effects of these. these wounds are exactly the same as the combat battle injuries we've seen overseas because of the heinous way these explosions were designed. kate snow, thank you very much for your reporting all night tonight from a newly happy watertown, massachusetts. and finally tonight, before we go off the air, let's spend our last minute or so talking about boston because as we've been discussing, after all, this has been an assault on boston. no one who knows that city has any doubt about that city, its people or what they're all made of. but last night and today, that was really insult on top of real injury. think for starters about the children in that city who were forced to stay home on this scary day while being told not to go near the windows or the

doors because there might be a bad man outside in their neighborhood. and if you're like a lot of us, when somebody says boston, well, you think of sports teams. and perhaps the ultimate indignity tonight was after the week they've had the people of boston couldn't go to tonight's bruins hockey game. worse yet, they couldn't go to the red sox game at fenway. they couldn't gather at the old place to blow off steam, to cheer on the home team, or even if they wished to feel bad together. both of those games tonight postponed. but those boston sports fans will be back. the seats will be filled. and someday it will feel normal again. and as it turned out, the people of boston did find a way to cheer tonight. they cheered those cops as they drove out of town after saving the day, and they gathered outside fenway anyway and they just cheered for their city after its worst day.

we have much more tomorrow. a special saturday "today" from boston with matt, savannah and lester. for everyone here, good night. thanks for watching "rock center" on this eventful friday. for those nights when it's more than a bad dream, be ready. for the times you need to double-check the temperature on the thermometer, be ready. for high fever, nothing works faster or lasts longer. be ready with children's motrin.

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