Bombing Victims, Residents Return To Boylston Street

BOSTON (CBS) - Boston city leaders said they wanted a respectful reopening of Boylston Street. That plan continued Tuesday night as those most directly affected by the marathon bombings were allowed to come back in to where both bombs went off. Buses took victims and their families to the area around Copley Square.

"I feel it must take an awful lot of personal bravery to come back down here and see the scene of the terrible tragedy for these people and their families," said Michael Lonergan. Lonergan is the Irish Consul General to New England and had just been allowed back into his office earlier in the day.

From the barricades at Clarendon Street, passers-by could see the injured as they moved closer to tents set up at Copley Square Park. Some were in wheelchairs. Others were on crutches. All appeared to be surrounded by loved ones.

"When you're face to face with people that were directly affected and to see those bandages you just feel what they're feeling," Bill Skillman said.

Skillman had just left a meeting at the Fairmont Copley nearby and happened upon the prayer service. "I walked in by accident to the memorial service that they had and I felt it would be disrespectful not to stop by and you know just to see the runners and the mayor and kind of the cloud of sadness that seems to just hover on top of everybody," he explained.

During the brief service, Skillman was brought to tears. It meant a lot to him to be there, even if it was by chance. "Everybody prayed, hoping for recovery and for the light to shine in Boston again. You can punch a hole in that but it'll come back," he said.

Mayor Menino waved as he was driven away, but did not stop to comment. Shortly after, even more people stopped by with flowers, unaware of what just happened a block away.

Boylston Street will open to the public at 3 a.m. Wednesday morning. The Copley MBTA station will be open Wednesday morning.