Bombing Suspect's Writings Reportedly Allude to Cleric Who Influenced Boston Marathon Bombings: UPDATE

Update: NBC has altered its reporting to clarify that the note does not explicitly mention the Boston Marathon bombers. Rather, it praises Anwar al-Awlaki, an American al-Qaida cleric who also influenced the Tsarnaev brothers.

BOSTON, MA — A journal found in possession of suspected New York and New Jersey bomber Ahmad Rahami reportedly references an al-Qaida cleric who influenced the Boston Marathon bombers, furthering the parallels already being drawn between the deadly attack in Boston and the attempted destruction in Manhattan this weekend.

A source described the message to NBC News as "a hodge podge, a rambling, disconnected, choppy series of references to past events" that mentions, among other subjects, Anwar al-Awlaki, an American al-Qaida cleric who also influenced the Tsarnaev brothers. NBC has edited its story to exclude previous reports that the Boston Marathon bombers themselves were mentioned.

It isn't the first time a parallel has been drawn between the pressure cooker IEDs deployed in New York City and the similarly constructed devices used to kill three and injure more than 250 near the Boston Marathon finish line in 2013.

Twenty-nine were injured by one of the devices in Manhattan; there were no fatalities.

Read More: Boston Police Head Turned NYPD Commissioner Retires Amidst Echoes of Boston Bombing

State Police said there is no known direct tie between the recent attacks and Massachusetts.

In the aftermath of the bombings this weekend, Massachusetts state troopers are stepping up their presence at public transit hubs, as well as this Thursday's Patriots game, as a precautionary measure.

Image via NYPD

Patch has edited and corrected this article based on updated information.