THE youngest victim of the Boston Marathon bombings had been waiting to give his father a hug at the finish when he was killed by one of the blasts.

Martin Richard, eight, from Dorchester, a neighbourhood of Boston, was among at least three people killed in the blasts that erupted near the finish line.

A makeshift memorial of flowers and a wish for "Peace" written in chalk were outside Martin's home yesterday.

Drivers slowed down as they approached it, paused, and made the sign of the cross before moving on.

The boy reportedly may have nearly cheated death after walking out to embrace his father as he went to cross the finishing line. But when Mr Richard walked on, the youngster turned back to rejoin his mother as the bomb exploded.

In a tragic twist, the boy appears in a Facebook picture holding the sign: "No more hurting people. Peace."

Martin's sister Jane has reportedly lost a leg and his mother Denise is understood to have undergone surgery for a serious head injury. They are among the 170 who were injured in the attack.

His older brother, 12-year-old Henry, is not thought to have been hurt in the explosion.

Martin's father Bill told the world of son's death in a statement.

It read: "My dear son Martin has died from injuries sustained in the attack on Boston.

"My wife and daughter are both recovering from serious injuries.

"We thank our family and friends, those we know and those we have never met, for their thoughts and prayers. I ask that you continue to pray for my family as we remember Martin."

Meanwhile, the second of the three victims has been named as restaurant manageress Krystle Campbell, 29, from Medford, Massachusetts. Her father, William, said Ms Campbell had gone with her best friend – who was seriously injured in the blast – to take a picture of the woman's boyfriend crossing the finish line.

Mr Campbell said she was a "very caring, very loving person, and was daddy's little girl".