‘Bomber’ was best friend, says man linked to gun
BOSTON — A man linked to a gun used to kill a university police officer after the Boston Marathon bombing allegedly told police he smoked marijuana every day because, in his words, “my best friend was the bomber.”
Stephen Silva was arrested Monday on charges of heroin trafficking and possession of a handgun with an obliterated serial number.
Two people with knowledge of the investigation said the same gun was used to kill MIT police Officer Sean Collier during a manhunt for the bombing suspects. They spoke to The Associated Press on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the investigation.
The 21-year-old Silva was close friends with bombing suspect Dzhokhar Tsarnaev (joh-HAHR’ tsahr-NEYE’-ehv).
Silva was arrested in November on marijuana charges. According to court documents, when transit police found marijuana in Silva’s pocket, he allegedly said, “I smoke a lot of weed every day because my best friend was the bomber.”