The FBI rescued an elementary school student held captive in an underground bunker in Midland City, Alabama on Monday, ending a 6 day standoff with the child’s kidnapper. Sources close to the situation say an FBI hostage team stormed the bunker after experts determined that the mental state of suspect Jimmy Lee Dykes was rapidly deteriorating. Dykes was shot and killed in the raid. The 5-year-old boy, identified only as Ethan, was not harmed.
Authorities have released few details about what led up to the raid and how the raid was executed. FBI Special Agent Steve Richardson said Dykes was “observed holding a gun” at one point. Negotiations with the 65-year-old had also broken down.
Richardson met with Ethan after the raid at Flowers Hospital in Dothan. "He is doing fine," Richardson told reporters. "He's laughing, joking, playing, eating."
Ethan was reunited with his family and was busy playing with his favorite toy dinosaur. He was held in Flowers Hospital overnight.
Dykes abducted Ethan from a school bus last Tuesday around 4:40 p.m. ET. He boarded the bus and demanded that two children leave with him, but bus driver Charles Poland Jr. blocked the aisle as about 21 children escaped from the back door. Dykes shot Poland three times and fled with Ethan to the 4 foot long, 6 foot wide bunker on his property. Poland, 66, died of his wounds.
Authorities communicated with Dykes though a ventilation pipe and were able to send Ethan his daily medication, food, crayons and coloring books.
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