World News

Child rescued from bunker doing well

Photo: The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.

Dale County Sheriff Wally Olsen answers questions from the media about the close of the hostage crisis during a news conference late Monday, Feb. 4, 2013, in Midland City, Ala. Authorities stormed an underground bunker Monday in Midland City, freeing the 5-year-old boy and leaving his captor dead after a week of fruitless negotiations that left authorities convinced the child was in imminent danger. (AP Photo/AL.com, Jay Hare)

The 5-year-old boy held hostage in an underground bunker for six days by a menacing, unpredictable neighbour is doing well, authorities said.

But questions remain over how authorities monitored 65-year-old Jimmy Lee Dykes and what led them to storm the closet-sized shelter, killing him almost a week after he was accused of fatally shooting a school bus driver on Jan. 29 and grabbing the child at random from a busload of students.

Interviewed Tuesday, the boy's great uncle, Berlin Enfinger, told ABC's Good Morning America that the child was relieved to be home after his rescue a day earlier. Authorities had said they considered the 5-year-old to be facing imminent danger when they decided to go in.

"He's happy to be home, and he looks good," Enfinger said.

Authorities remained tight-lipped about the end of the standoff. Neighbors said they heard a bang and gunshots, but the FBI wouldn't confirm that. Authorities also kept under wraps exactly how they were able to monitor Dykes and the boy in such a confined space.

"We have a big crime scene behind us to process," said Special Agent Steve Richardson. "I can't talk about sources, techniques or methods that we used. But I can tell you the success story is (the boy) is safe."

He declined to say if the property had been rigged with explosives.