Politics & Government
Local Reaction to Killing of Osama Bin Laden
Local congressional and law enforcement leaders react to the death of Al Qaeda's leader.
Osama bin Laden is dead and U.S. forces are in possession of his body, president Barack Obama said Sunday night.
"Justice has been done," Obama said in a televised announcement Sunday.
While he did not provide details, he said that the U.S. has been tracking bin Laden for months and finally located him in a residence in Pakistan. After a firefight, the president said, bin Laden was killed, with no loss of U.S. lives. To watch President Obama's address, click here.
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Sheriff Lee Baca, the top officer at the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department told K-CAL 9 reporters in an interview Sunday night that the county and nation will continue to face security challenges. He said that like others in the country, the death does make him feel safer.
"I feel safer but I also know that there's still a whole world of violent extremeist behavior that is so irrational for the average citizen of the world," Baca said.
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Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Pasadena, congratulated the President and his national security team in a statement Sunday night.
"At long last, the world is rid of a despicable mass murderer and the victims of September 11th have obtained a measure of justice. This is a tremendous day for the men and women of our armed forces, our intelligence agencies and all Americans.
This is not the end of the struggle against al Qaeda, and we must redouble our vigilance in the days ahead. But after a decade of waiting, this is wonderful news."
In light of Osama's death, the U.S. Department of State issued a travel alert on Sunday night. This warning strong urges Americans to "limit their travel outside of their homes and hotels
and avoid mass gatherings and demonstrations." Travel and these types of events could prove targets for anti-American violence in the days to come. The travel alert expires August 1, 2011.
Below is a list of the 48 victims from California who died in the September 11, 2001 al Qaeda attacks:
- Angell, David Lawrence - 54 - Pasadena, CA - Am 11
- Angell, Lynn - 52 - Pasadena, CA - Am 11
- Aoyama, Seima - 48 - Culver City , CA - Am 11
- Barnes, Melissa Rose - 27 - Redlands, CA - Dec Ptn
- Beaven, Alan - 48 - Oakland, CA - Un 93
- Betru, Yeneneh - 35 - Burbank, CA - Am 77
- Beug, Carolyn - 48 - Santa Monica, CA - Am 11
- Bingham, Mark K. - 31 - San Francisco, CA - Un 93
- Bodley, Deora Frances - 20 - Santa Clara, CA - Un 93
- Bolourchi, Touran Hamzavi - 69 - Beverly Hills, CA - Un 175
- Brandhorst, Daniel R. - 42 - Los Angeles, CA - Un 175
- Brandhorst, David Reed Gamboa - 3 - Los Angeles, CA - Un 175
- Burnett Jr., Thomas E. - 38 - San Ramon, CA - Un 93
- Calley, Suzanne - 42 - San Martin, CA - Am 77
- Collman, Jeffrey Dwayne - 41 - Novato, CA - Am 11
- Dearaujo, Dorothy - 82 - Long Beach, CA - Un 175
- Frost, Lisa Anne - 22 - Rancho Santa Margarita, CA - Un 175
- Gamboa, Ronald - 33 - Los Angeles, CA - Un 175
- Garcia, Andrew - 62 - Portola Valley, CA - Un 93
- Grandcolas, Lauren - 36 - San Rafael, CA - Un 93
- Green, Andrew Peter Charles Curry - 34 - Santa Monica, CA - Am 11
- Guadagno, Richard Jerry - 38 - Eureka, CA - Un 93
- Hall, Stanley - 68 - Rancho Palos Verdes, CA - Am 77
- Hardacre, Gerald F. - 62 - Carlsbad, CA - Un 175
- Hart, John Patrick - 38 - Danville, CA - Dec WTC
- Hofer, John - 45 - Bellflower, CA - Am 11
- Hughes, Melissa Harrington - 31 - San Francisco, CA - Dec WTC
- Keating, Barbara - 72 - Palm Springs, CA - Am 11
- Keller, Chandler "Chad" - 29 - El Segundo, CA - Am 77
- Lee, Daniel John - 34 - Van Nuys, CA - Am 11
- Lopez, Maclovio "Joe" - 41 - Los Angeles, CA - Un 175
- Menchaca, Dora M. - 45 - Santa Monica, CA - Am 77
- Miller, Nicole - 21 - San Jose, CA - Un 93
- Neira, Laurie Ann - 48 - Los Angeles, CA - Am 11
- Ornedo, Ruben - 39 - Los Angeles, CA - Am 77
- Pappalardo, Marie - 53 - Paramount, CA - Un 175
- Paskins, Jerrold H. - 56 - Anaheim Hills, CA - Dec WTC
- Pecorelli, Thomas Nicholas - 31 - Topanga, CA - Am 11
- Penniger, Robert - 63 - Poway, CA - Am 77
- Perkins, Berry Berenson - 53 - Los Angeles, CA - Am 11
- Sopper, Mari-Rae - 35 - Santa Barbara, CA - Am 77
- Suarez, Xavier - 41 - Chino Hills, CA - Am 11
- Titus, Alicia N. - 28 - San Francisco, CA - Un 175
- Tolbert, Otis Vincent - 38 - Lemoore, CA - Dec Ptn
- Vamsikrishna, Pendyala - 30 - Los Angeles, CA - Am 11
- Ward, Timothy Ray - 38 - San Diego, CA - Un 175
- Wemmers, Christian Hans Rudolph - 43 - San Francisco, CA - Dec WTC
- Wenckus, John Joseph - 46 - Torrance, CA - Am 11
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