Shraman Mitra
The residents of Boston witnessed one of the most horrifying tragedies of their lives when two explosions killed three people and injured many others during the 2013 Annual Boston Marathon on April 15. Like most locals, Danny “Dun” Meng, a resident of Cambridge, was shocked by the carnage and preferred to stay indoors as authorities took control of the situation.
Netflix’s ‘American Manhunt: The Boston Marathon Bombing’ chronicles the incident and portrays how Danny was abducted on the evening of April 18 by two armed men who claimed to be the bombers.
Who Is Danny Meng?
On the show, Danny revealed that he immigrated to the US from China in 2009 in order to pursue a Master’s degree from Northeastern University in Boston, Massachusetts. While studying, Danny fell in love with the culture and wanted to live his own American dream. Furthermore, he was inspired by Barrack Obama’s speech in which the former President claimed any hard-working American deserved to have a brighter future ahead. Hence, determined to make a living in the US, Danny stayed on after his graduation and began working towards his own tech startup.
By April 2013, Danny had already earned his Master’s degree and was leading a quiet life in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Incidentally, on April 15, 2013, brothers Dzhokhar Tsarnaev and Tamerlan Tsarnaev exploded two crudely made pressure-cooker bombs near the Boston Marathon finish line. The explosions left three dead, while several others were gravely injured. However, the FBI sifted through hours and hours of digital evidence in just three days and shared the pictures of the suspects with the American public.
Shortly after, on the evening of April 18, 2013, Danny was out on a drive in his SUV when a car pulled up behind him. Subsequently, a man approached his driver’s side window and soon threatened him with a gun before getting into the vehicle. The first man was then joined by a younger individual, and Danny was forced to drive to a location in Watertown. Once in Watertown, the kidnappers moved a few boxes from their own car to the SUV while Danny was forced to move into the passenger seat. Then, the assailants drove off in search of a gas station as they planned on traveling to New York overnight.
Once at the gas station, Danny noticed that his assailants were somewhat distracted. Hence, he took this opportunity to escape and run across the road to a second gas station. He then convinced the clerk to allow him to call 911 before informing the police about the kidnappers’ whereabouts. Once first responders reached the scene, Danny insisted that his kidnappers confessed to the Boston Marathon Bombing. Moreover, he handed over the GPS tracking number of his car to the police, and soon officers had a good idea of the duo’s whereabouts. Although arresting the bomber, Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, would still take quite some time, Danny was allowed to return home.
Danny Meng is Leading a Private Life Today
When talking about the experience, Danny mentioned how the days following his kidnapping were the toughest to get through. He would keep looking over his shoulder constantly and refused to leave his room for quite some time. However, his loved ones slowly helped him overcome his fears and even counseled him to the best of their abilities. In fact, Danny remains grateful to the people who helped him as he said, “I had to talk to Red Cross people, they counseled me, and I reached out to my friends.”
He added, “My professors even, they helped me a lot and got me through it. It’s very important to talk to some people you trust.” Besides, readers would be interested to know that the producers for ‘Patriots Day’ took Danny’s input when filming the movie. From the looks of it, Danny currently prefers to keep his personal life under wraps and maintains a limited presence on social media.
However, reports mention that he has since launched his own tech startup, and the company, which is based in Cambridge, Massachusetts, is doing quite well. Meanwhile, Danny also resides in Cambridge, and we want to wish him the best for the years to come.
Read More: Dzhokhar Tsarnaev: Where is Boston Marathon Bomber Now?
