On April 15, 2013, America was faced with an act of domestic terrorism committed by Dzhokhar and Tamerlan Tsarnaev with the help of their pressure cooker bombs set near the finish line of the Boston Marathon. Ed Davis, Boston police commissioner at the time of the attacks, worked alongside the FBI and other local first responders to ensure the safety of those within the city.

On Feb. 2, Davis will visit the Florida Atlantic University Lifelong Learning Society at the Jupiter campus to talk about his experience with terrorist situations.

“I’ll be covering terrorism and the marathon investigation, but I also want to talk about the continuing issues that relate to dealing with adversity, whether we’re dealing with Orlando or Fort Lauderdale,” Davis said. “Unfortunately, these things keep happening.”

Davis said he hopes to bring awareness, remembrance and a sense of community to those who were not only affected by this event but also to those who attend.

“People need to be prepared to deal with an incident to try to prevent it but they also need to be aware that we survive these things, we get through them,” he said. “In the final analysis, we actually come together after an incident like this.”

On Jan. 13, 2017, “Patriots Day,” a film that portrays the events of the Boston Marathon bombing, was released. According to criminal justice major Ashley DeMoss, she could not take her eyes off the screen.

“The movie was done in a very accurate and very kind way. You know the victims of this bombing are going to watch the movie and you know they are going to feel something too,” DeMoss said. “You can tell that the writers, directors and actors always kept those people in mind.”

With actors such as John Goodman, who plays Davis in the movie, and Mark Wahlberg, who plays a fictional sergeant, Davis was hesitant at first about documenting the events on film. However, he said that in the end, he knew the two actors were good choices to represent the men who worked tirelessly to catch the two terrorists.

“Mark Wahlberg, Peter Berg [director and writer] and Michael Radutzky from CBS would bring a lot of compassion to the victims and a lot of integrity to the reporting so that it would be accurate,” said Davis. “Also, they would show the spirit of the city and after seeing the movie, I think they really did do that.”

Members and supporters of FAU’s Lifelong Learning Society Janice and Michael Barry are sponsoring the event.

“We hope that those who attend this lecture will leave with an understanding that people can do awful things in the most unlikely places and for often inexplicable reasons but the human spirit will remain strong, not defeated by senseless acts of terror,” said Janice and Michael in an email.

Members of the Lifelong Learning Society can purchase tickets for $55, while non-members can purchase tickets for $65. For more ticket information, call the Lifelong Learning Society at 561-799-8547 or visit its website here.

Bella Riccitelli is a contributing writer with the University Press. For information regarding this or other stories, email [email protected] or tweet her @bellariccitelli.