He loved he was his hobby was being an auto mechanic and really it was amazing to see this Community Come together and call this man a hero for what he did. We spoke with his son and daughter last week and they were just torn apart and his daughter told me that, you know, people are calling him a hero, but hes been a hero all her life. So they have been remembering him for the past few days. Yesterday was his funeral, and this community has been really shocked about what happened here. Okay. Well, we are awaiting a press conference. We know that the hostage standoff has come to an end. When were you alerted to matters being resolved from where youre standing . Because obviously youre being held some distance away, but when did it become more obvious to you that something was going on . Reporter well, it was a short time ago, martin, really a few minutes before we came on the air. We noticed some activity up that road. Weve been, you know, watching this situation with cameras. We have n
hugh mccall, h-u-g-h, mccall m-c-c-a-l-l. thank you. so we re just hearing from what appears to be a public relations spokesperson explaining that in five minutes a press conference will be taking place. gabe gutierrez is our correspondent on the ground. gabe, go ahead. reporter: hi, martin. how are you? certainly a lot of excitement here as people await this news conference. i was able to confirm with local law enforcement that the child is alive and the suspect is dead at this point. and right now i am joined by michael, one of the local pastors that really has been so involved in this entire ordeal and comforting so many people in this community. pastor, tell me what have you heard and what is the sentiment around here right now?
been here virtually around the clock but a state senator who has been here. it s really an emotional time for them. one of those people is pastor michael sens who has been here since the very beginning. we saw him the first day we were here. pastor, tell me after hearing that news conference, what s going through your head? just very thankful that the child is safe. i have heard it for several minutes now, but to hear them say and confirm that the young boy is okay just really wants us to make makes us give praise to the lord for him watching over that young child and, of course, thanks to all the authorities, everyone in this community that have stood together in faith. you know, there s been hundreds of people that have come together to see this thing come to the close today, and this community as a spokesman for this community seemingly, i want to say thank to everybody that has been here to help get this boy home safe. reporter: you were in touch with several of the children
0 come down that dirt road before, and it was around the same time we heard that boom, when we heard that activity, and, you know, we re just really waiting to find out, and certainly if that is true, that this child made it out, that would be an incredible relief for this community. midland city, alabama, is a small town, about 2,400 people, and they have just been rocked by this standoff the past few days. about 140 hours at this point, and people here are tired because they ve been praying for the past few days. they ve been watching this unfold and really hoping that this would turn have a peaceful resolution, and they ve been putting up ribbons, holding prayer vigils every night, praying for 5-year-old e ethan to survive that horrible ordeal. gabe, do stay with us, because we will come to you if this press conference occurs in the next few minutes. joining us now is former fbi profiler clint van zandt. clint, are you on the line with negotiations, and should mr. dykes be decea