Alabama hostage standoff ends: Abductor Jimmy Lee Dykes dead, child unharmed

Washington: A 5-year-old boy who was being held hostage in an underground bunker in Alabama, a state of United States, for nearly a week has been released while his abductor is now dead.

Police say 65-year-old Jimmy Lee Dykes shot and killed a bus driver last week in Midland City and then abducted the boy.

Giving a briefing to media, FBI Special Agent Steve Richardson said that Dykes was seen with a gun on Monday afternoon after negotiations with authorities deteriorated. Fearing the child’s safety FBI agents entered the bunker and rescued him, he added.

Richardson said that Dykes is dead, yet the boy appeared unharmed and is being treated at a local hospital. He was taken away from the scene in an ambulance and was carried in a stretcher, witnesses say.

It\'s unclear how Dykes was killed, yet witnesses say they heard an explosion and gunfire in the area.

FBI bomb technicians were clearing the property for explosive devices and planned to look more closely at the scene when it’s safe, FBI spokesman Jason Pack said.

Alabama Gov. Robert Bentley thanked law enforcement officials, first responders and other personnel who assisted in the hostage recovery effort.

Source – Thenewstribe