a new picture of five-year-old ethan. >> i have been to the hospital. i have visited with ethan. he is doing fine. he's laughing, joking, playing, eating. the things that you would expect a normal five to six-year-old young man to do. >> reporter: the suspect, 65-year-old jimmy lee dykes is dead. abc news learned authorities inserted a camera into the bunker and monster his movements. they positioned the s.w.a.t. team near the entrance and used an explosives charge to get into the bunker and neutralize dykes. >> the fbi feared the child was in eminent danger and rescued the child. >> reporter: last tuesday he boarded a school bus and threatened the kids. >> he is threat tong kill us all or something. >> reporter: dykes allegedly shot and killed the bus driver and kidnapped ethan. >> just had a bus driver shot and possibly killed. >> reporter: after dykes grabbed him he headed to a bunker behind his house. >> he seemed like a weird person and i thought that is just the way he is. >> reporter: he was a decorated vietnam vet. he moved back two years ago. neighbors in this tiny rural

. >>> tonight saving ethan. inside the dramatic rescue of the boy in the bunker. >> i have faith that he was going to come back. >> exclusive details on how he's doing on the eve of his sixth birthday. >>> plus you've seen me do this. has it changed my mind about guns? tonight i'll go head-to-head with a man who says gun owners should stand his ground. robert zimmerman is the brother of the man who shot trayvon martin. also he helped save gabby giffords. what daniel hernandez thinks of guns in america. >> having more guns does not solve the problem. >> my exclusive with a woman who grew up a scientologist, how she says she escaped. this is piers morgan tonight. >>> good evening. gun advocates have been telling me for months that i don't know what it is like to shoot a gun and that i therefore have no business expressing any opinion on guns. i disagree with that premise. but i now know exactly what it's like to shoot an ar-15 assault rifle. and for that matter, a browning m-2 machine gun. both of which astonishin

ethan is safe. the gunman was dead. at least in this community it's all been brought to an end, even if there are still many questions to be answered. >> yeah, he's safe tonight with his mom and celebrating a birthday this wednesday. we're so happy it ended the way it did. martin savedge, appreciate that. thanks so much. >>> we have a lot more to cover tonight. "anderson" will be right back after this. >>> welcome back. more now on our breaking news. two days before his sixth birthday, the ordeal is over for a boy named ethan who was kidnapped, held in a bunker in alabama for near a week now. law enforcement officials said he seemed to be okay. when he was freed, he was taken to a hospital where he would be reunited with his mom and his grandmother. even if he's fine physically, there are sure to be psychological issues ethan and his family will have to deal with, going through something like this at such a young age. joining me now is katie beers. you may remember as a child, she was kidnapped by a neighbor, a family f

ethan is safe. the gunman was dead. but at least in this community it's all been brought to an end, even if there are still many questions to be answered. >> yeah, he's safe tonight with his mom and celebrating a birthday this wednesday. we're so happy it ended the way it did. martin savidge, thanks so much. >>> we have a lot more to cover tonight. abdomener son will be right back after this. i love making money. i try to be smart with my investments. i also try to keep my costs down. what's your plan? ishares. low cost and tax efficient. find out why nine out of ten large professional investors choose ishares for their etfs. ishares by blackrock. call 1-800-ishares for a prospectus which includes investment objectives, risks, charges and expenses. read and consider it carefully before investing. risk includes possible loss of principal. more "likes." more tweets. so, beginning today, my son brock and his whole team will be our new senior social media strategists. any questions? since we make radiator valves wouldn't it

the incredible story of rescuing ethan. 5-year-old boy from alabama was freed from captivity, the fbi has released the first photos that show the site of the underground bunker where he was held for six days. now the area is tented and we will hold this up for a second, they think the site could be dangerous and still contain explosives. you can see that pipe in the prior picture. that pipe was actually the pipe they were using to communicate with jimmy lee dykes. these pictures are coming as we learn new details about the daring rescue operation. martin savidge is "outfront" with the story. >> reporter: for days, as the command center and a nearby church continued to grow, authorities remain in constant communication with jimmy lee dykes, speaking to him over a telephone in his bunker. a law enforcement source characterized dykes as contentious the entire time. despite that, dykes allowed authorities to deliver what were called comfort items through a hatch. >> he allowed us to provide coloring books, medication, toys. >>

waiting for ethan's return. >> i wanted to be there. at any moment, any second, had i been allowed to. >> for almost a week, police and fbi officials tried to convince dikes to let ethan go free but they ended up storming the bunker in a daring rescue. >> they told me he had stopped negotiating and grew agitated and it was time to get ethan out of there. >> what did they do? >> i understand that a hostage team went in, put explosives on top of doors and blown the doors off and knocked him off guard with that. they went in and covered ethan with a vest and shot mr. dykes. >> did he see mr. dykes shot and killed? >> he absolutely did. he seen the army came in and shot the bad man. >> ethan who played quietly with his toys says little about what happened in those harrowing days. but when dr. phil asks him how he gets to school here's what he whispers to his mother. kirkland says she has forgiven dykes and is ready to move on. >> how are you coping with this? >> i'm not sure yet. i've been so busy trying to make sure he's okay. first. i mea

to ethan?ur sight? >> it's hard to do for any parent. for the next "x" number of weeks, i would not. as part of the safety, i think it's important that a family member, preferably his mom or grand mom, go with him on the bus, and be with him as much as possible. even in class. and that the family and the psychologist and doctors attending to him, speak to the teachers, speak to the principal, speak to the bus drivers, so they have a good idea what this child has suffered, and you know, u.s. time for him to take baby steps back to normal by asking him. he's 6 years old. >> 5 years old now, about to be 6 years old tomorrow. we do know so far, he witnessed the shooting of the bus driver. we know he was in that bunker all of those days. we don't know whether or not he saw when dykes was killed. and so how do you then have a little boy end up feeling safe again? as a parent, what can you do? >> i don't know that he will ever feel safe again, but because is he still very young and dependent on his fa

this is ethan. that boy held in that bunker. now home with his mother. his family, now smiling again. >> reporter: the family telling us they hoped we should america their little boy is back. and tonight, for the first time, the images from ethan's 6th birthday party this week. taken captive just days before his birthday, the entire town had hoped and prayed for this party. and they held it. his family, his friends, and the heroes. the team that saved him. the fbi agent who made the call to move in. >> approximately 3:12 this afternoon, fbi agents safely recovered the child who has been held hostage for nearly a week. >> reporter: for the first time, ethan's immediate family is talking. his older brother telling us how difficult it was for his mother not able to hug the boy who loved to be hugged. who loved to be tucked in at night. >> it was hard not to be able physically touch him, hug him, and really be there for him. >> reporter: the family telling me they knew little about the minute by minute surveillance of that bunker about the crying for his mot

because ethan was home with his mom. so he was safe. and that's my dad's key job was to make sure that every child was delivered safely to their parents. >> there are reports that your dad stood up to the kidnapper, blocked him from coming on to the bus. you say that doesn't surprise you at all, that he'd be trying to protect those kids. >> no, sir. that's -- my dad didn't have a selfish bone in his body. he did everything that he could to be right, to do the right thing for everybody around him or anybody that he cared for. >> just about every photo i've seen of your dad, he had a smile on his face. was that his -- was that all the time? >> pretty much. i cannot remember a single time in my life of not seeing a smile on my dad, either a little smile or a little smirk. he always had that little just to make you feel good smile. he always had a feel-good smile. >> what else do you want people to know about your dad, to remember about him? >> if you don't mind, i'll tell you a story. me and my dad years ago when i was a teenager, we used

ethan is safe. the gunman was dead. but at least in this community it's all been brought to an end, even if there are still many questions to be answered. >> yeah, he's safe tonight with his mom and celebrating a birthday this wednesday. we're so happy it ended the way it did. martin savidge, thanks so much. >>> we have a lot more to cover tonight. abdomener son will be right back after this. [ rosa ] i'm rosa and i quit smoking with chantix. when the doctor told me that i could smoke for the first week... i'm like...yeah, ok... little did i know that one week later i wasn't smoking. [ male announcer ] along with support, chantix is proven to help people quit smoking. it reduces the urge to smoke. some people had changes in behavior, thinking or mood, hostility, agitation, depressed mood and suicidal thoughts or actions while taking or after stopping chantix. if you notice any of these stop taking chantix and call your doctor right away. tell your doctor about any history of depression or other mental health problems, w

little ethan is preparing for april credibly big day. happy birthday, ethan.ryone is anxious to see him back at class. >> everybody pretty much knows ethan. we are looking forward to the time he can come back in and we can wrap our arms around him, tell him we love him. >> law enforcement officials say they stormed the bunker and freed ethan after they observed his kidnapper holding a gun. >>> the boy scouts considering a major shift in its policies toward gays. they could lift the ban on national gay scout leaders. local troops will decide on their own whether to accept gays. in 2000, the supreme court ruled that the scouts have the right for a ban. james dale was dismissed as an assistant scout master after boy scout leadership learned he was gay. thank you for joining thus morning. >> thank you. >> let my ask you first off, what do you think will happen today? >> thank you. >> this is momentous. what do you think the outcome will be? >> it's inevitable. the boy scouts have to do something. the supreme court victory they had, over their membership dropped by

a new picture of 5-year-old ethan. >> i have been to the hospital. i have visited with ethan.eporter: the suspect, 65-year-old jimmy lee dykes is dead. abc news has learned authorities were able to insert a high-tech camera into the bunker and monitor dykes' movements. when they be kale increasingly concerned he might act out they positioned the swat team near the entrance and used an explosive charge to get into the bunker and neutralize dykes. the s standoff began last tuesd when the suspect boarded a school bus and threatened the kids. dykes allegedly shot and killed the bus driver and kidnapped ethan. 5-year-old ethan believed to have autism was held captive in the underground bunker, 6 x 8 while police and swat teams above ground carefully negotiated through a ventilation pipe. dykes allowed what authorities called comfort item to be sent down the pipe, toys, coloring books, potato chips and ethan's medication. police were careful not to anger the suspect, believed to be watching news reports in the bunker. even thanked him at one point. >> i want to thank him for take ca

for six day, ethan was held underground by dykes in an eight by six bunker.e years, the vietnam veteran behaved strangely and had beaten a dog to death with a pipe, but kirkland says dykes took surprisingly good care of her son. >> when he found out ethan was autistic and took medication, i believe that's why he started caring and let ethan have the things he was letting him have. >> authorities say he fed the boy, gave him toys. kirkland said it was the hardest thing she's ever been through. >> i wanted to be there. there's not one second of this whole thing that i wouldn't have begged that man to let me have ethan and i would have turn around and give him to my family and took his place at any moment, any second, had i been allowed to. >> for almost a week, police tried to convince dykes to let ethan go free, but they ended up storming the bunker in a daring rescue. >> told he had stopped negotiating and grewed agitated and it was time to get ethan out of there. >> what did they do? >> i understand that a hostage team went in, put explosives on top of doors

s hostage rescue team stormed into the bunker and rescued ethan monday afternoon. they set off flash grenades to confuse and distract dykes. then they shot and killed him. officials tell cbs news, the f.b.i. grew concerned with dykes' behavior, watching him through a camera that was inserted into the bunker during the standoff. john miller is a former f.b.i. distant director. >> cameras can be introduced through fiber optic lenses that can be drilled into a pin hole in the wall or introduced in other objects. there's a lot of reasons they don't go into the detail of that which these are techniques they may need to use the next time. >> reporter: ethan is reportedly okay and undergoing medical evaluations. the boy has a disorder similar to autism. he turns 6 tomorrow. school buses took students back to midland city elementary today for the first time since bus driver charles poland was killed and ethan was abducted. >> i'm just proud ethan is going to be able to come back to school. we're looking forward to the day he walks back in with open arms. >> reporter: a pas

tonight there are plenty of prayers in alabama for ethan's safe release.ow do children react to this kind of traumatic situation down the road? >> we do tend to have a natural recovery process from trauma, but this is a really severe trauma, a long standing trauma that's exactly affecting him in a very scary way. >> reporter: for "nightline" i'm juju chang in new york. >> keep praying for ethan there. thanks to juju chang. next up we'll turn to the super bowl, and the cutest breakout star. an exclusive look at what it takes to become an iconic budweiser clydesdale. while everyone else seems headed in the wrong direction, ford is not just going forward, it's going further. introducing the entirely new ford fusion. with a hybrid that's the most fuel-efficient midsize sedan in america. it's an entirely new idea of what a car can be. in the middle of the night it can be frustrating. it's hard to turn off and go back to sleep. intermezzo is the first and only prescription sleep aid approved for use as needed in the middle of the night when you can't get back to

the fbi managed to rescue ethan.y lee dykes died during that raid. >>> we're expecting more testimony from an arizona woman who admitted in court to killing her ex-boyfriend in 2008 jodi arias stabbed travis al sappeder 29 times, shot him in the face and slit his throat. she claims she acted in self-defense and also says she planned to commit suicide after his death. >> i was very confident that no jury would convict me because i planned to be dead. probably the most bitter words i'll ever eat. >> arias faces a possible death sentence if convicted. >>> the fcc holding the first of several field hearings today. it will focus on the impact of superstorm sandy and focus on how to keep communication systems up and running during times of crisis and natural disasters. >>> king richard iii's newly discovered skull has been used to recreate this 3-d model of his face. this comparison image you can see the bust on the right is pretty darned similar to the painted portrait on the left. it's amazing how that happens, isn't it?

ethan is the 5-year-old, by the way.e should point out here that, as you said, law enforcement noted that there was a sense that things were breaking down, at least with that gunman. they said that dykes was apparently getting more and more irrational. they also saw him with a gun in a way that they thought was frightening to the little boy. they wasted no more time. they have had hostage rescue teams standing by around the clock, ready to move atty moment's notice. that notice was given. there was apparently an explosion. whether that was a distraction or the entry, they made their way in, there was gunfire, dykes was killed and the little boy was rescued. the pentagon was involved in some way here, leon panetta okaying the use of special equipment used for monitoring. that would have meant that military personnel were also on site but were not part of the takedown. it shows you that concern for this little boy went almost all the way to the top of this administratio administration. >> i know we don't know exact details

little ethan. and everywhere you go, there's signs, prayers for ethan.t for this news conference. we were told it was supposed to happen by now. still no indication, wolf. we're standing by. you can see the large cluster of microphones are set. we're just a few minutes away. so the moment that anyone steps to this microphone, we'll bring it to you. >> we're standing by for that news conference. federal authorities have taken the lead, kidnapping being a federal charge if you will. but local authorities will be there as well. martin, hold on for a moment. joining us on the phone is the alabama state representative who over these past seven days has spoken with the family of the little 5-year-old ethan. representative, you haven't spoken with them today, have you? >> no, i haven't, wolf. this -- now joyous about the news we're getting. finally this nightmare has come to an end. >> have you heard any specifics on how it ended, what happened? >> no, just that ethan is relatively healthy. he's at the hospital there being checked out, and dykes is dead. whethe