President Obama speaks to the country regarding Boston bombing

President Obama pledged that the American government will find out who set off the twin bombs at the Boston Marathon on Monday afternoon and “hold them accountable.”

Speaking at the White House press briefing room just hours after two bombs exploded in Boston, Massachusetts, Obama was careful not to characterize the attack and instead stressed that “we still do not know who did this or why and people shouldn’t jump to conclusions before we have all the facts. But make no mistake, we will get to the bottom of this and we will find out who did this, we’ll find out why they did this. Any responsible individuals, any responsible groups will feel the full weight of justice.”

“On days like this there are no Republicans or Democrats, we are Americans united in concern for our fellow citizens,” he added.

A White House official says that the Boston explosions will be “approached as an act of terror.”