about 140 hours now and started last week, last tuesday when he allegedly boarded the stopped school bus and demanded two kids police say. and when the bus driver, charles poland, objected, he allegedly shot the bus driver and then made off with 5-year-old ethan who has a mild form of autism and in this underground bunker since last tuesday. about 40 hours and the mood here has somewhat changed and seemed to be tense at beginning. now it seems to be a slow method call approach that police are taking trying to create a civil environment for him to talk to negotiators. now, today we re also hearing that neighbors are collecting cards for 5-year-old ethan. his birthday is this week. and many of them are praying for his safe release at this moment. tamron? thank you. let s bring in former fbi profiler and nbc analyst clint
about his actions in combat. every person i killed i have a clear conscious of, they were actively trying to harm americans, allies or civilians. ruth was a military veteran. his motive is still unclear. we re entering the seventh day of the hostage standoff in alabama. a 5-year-old boy is still being held in an underground burnger by jim me lee dykes. police continue to negotiate with dykes who s received medicine for the boy. the funeral for the bus driver was held sunday. charles poland was hailed as a hero. defense secretary leon panetta is defending the country s controversial drone program. secretary panetta tells nbc s meet the press, drone strikes
ethan is still being held in a small underground bunker. he turns 6 this week making an already sad situation worse. a surveillance aircraft is flown over the rural property belonging to the man suspected of killing a bus driver before taking the boy. we have the latest on the situation. so gabe, what s the update from the ground now? reporter: hi, tamron. that news conference just wrapped up a short time ago and for the first time local sheriff seemed to acknowledge that jimmy lee dykes did have a demand of sort. he wanted the complex story told and the sheriff did not explain on how he wants it told and all he would say is police and hostage negotiators trying to create a civil environment for him to do so. sheriff jones said they re engaged with him around the clock and most communications in the day. this standoff dragged on for
five-year-old boy hostage. residents are calling the bus driver charles poland, jr. a hero. a funeral is scheduled this afternoon at the ozark civic center to accommodate what is everyone expects is going to be a very large crowd. shannon, the funeral scheduled to get underway in two hours from now. back to you. jonathan, thank you. shannon: senate majority leader harry reid says he has the utmost confidence in fellow senator robert menendez. he has been mentioned in connection with an fbi investigation into one of his political donors. reid said that he is sure menendez did nothing wrong and proving that is what investigations are all about. the next big legislative debate here in washington. guns. peter doocy has the latest. hello, peter. reporter: talk on capitol hill about perhaps trying to set up a universal background check system to reduce gun
police say they are still in constant contact jimmie lee dykes. the gunman who snatched the a-year-old boy off a school bus last week allegedly. meantime residents continue to offer prayers for the child s family and remain hopeful for his safe release. he is coming out. it may we don t know when. and we will never know why, probably. we were ever faced with this as a community, as a whole. you know, i m sure we will never have an answer. but he is coming out. this morning, a funeral will be held for the bus driver dykes is accused of killing. charles poland was shot several times as he tried to save the children. panic on board a charter bus carrying dozens of high schoolers after it smashes into an overpass. the horrific crash happening last night in boston. at least 34 people were hurt. three of them seriously and one with life threatening injury. the bus was heading back to philadelphia after a visit to harvard university when it attempted to pass under a bridge.