The 26-year-old suspect in the Boston Marathon bombings who was killed Friday was kicked out of a Cambridge, Mass., mosque prayer service three months ago for an outburst against the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., two worshippers told the Los Angeles Times Saturday.
Tamerlan Tsarnaev was thrown out of the Islamic Society of Boston after he stood up and shouted at the imam during a Friday service, they said. The imam had held up King as an example of a man to emulate.
One worshipper, who gave his name only as Muhammad, told the Los Angeles Times that Tamerlan stood up and began shouting.
“You cannot mention this guy because he’s not a Muslim!” Muhammad said Tamerlan shouted.
“He’s crazy to me,” Muhammad said, adding that the suspect had no further outbursts after that incident. “He had an anger inside. … I can’t explain what was in his mind.”
The other mosque attendee, who identified himself only as Haithen, told the Los Angeles Times that Dzhokhar Tsarnaev — the other brother, also a suspect in the bombings, who is currently in custody — was nice, friendly and “really laid back.”
He described Tamerlan Tsarnaev differently though.
“His persona was not really so nice,” Haithen said.
• Jessica Chasmar can be reached at jchasmar@washingtontimes.com.
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