Tsarnaev Apologizes To Families, Breaks Silence

In a startling turn, Boston Marathon bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev rose to his feet and apologized to the victims and their loved ones for the first time Wednesday just before a judge formally sentenced him to death.

“I am sorry for the lives that I’ve taken, for the suffering that I’ve caused you, for the damage that I’ve done — irreparable damage,” the 21-year-old college student said in his Russian accent, breaking more than two years of public silence. To the victims, he said: “I pray for your relief, for your healing.” The apology came after Tsarnaev listened impassively for about three hours as a procession of victims and their loved ones lashed out at him for his “cowardly” and “disgusting” acts.

ABC’s Aaron Katersky joined us from New York to discuss.