A crazed man killed a bus driver and took a 5-year-old child hostage on Tuesday. Today Alabama authorities are scrambling to put the hostage situation to rest and ensure the safety of the young boy. Retired truck driver and Vietnam vet, Jimmy Lee Dykes, recently moved into the area surrounding Midland City and has a troubled history. On Tuesday, he boarded a school bus filled with children, demanded the 65-year-old bus driver to hand over two children and when the bus driver refused, Dykes took one of the children. The armed man and the young boy are currently held up on a bunker near where he shot the bus driver. Read more below.
Police officers working on the hostage situation are remaining very tight lipped about the entire situation. They have no released the young boy’s name or if Dykes has made any demands thus far. There’s also no word as to whether or not the man took the boy for a specific reason. The gunman’s identity was only released yesterday after rumors began circling the neighborhood.
Officials remain in “constant” communication with Dykes and thus far, it doesn’t seem like the young boy has been hurt. Dykes even said that he had blankets and electric heaters for the boy so it doesn’t seem like he intends to harm the child.
Hopefully this can all be resolved soon and safely!
