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Bomb victim: 'He is what I call a terrorist'
(CNN) -- The news of the arrest of Eric Robert Rudolph brought forth reactions from victims, family members and law enforcement officials. Emily Lyons is the nurse who was seriously injured in the Birmingham women's clinic bombing. "We are thankful that he has been caught, thankful to the police and the FBI and the ATF and the media that has kept his picture and his name out there," Lyons said. "We know, at least, that since he's been in hiding this long, he hasn't been able to hurt anyone else. ... "[Eric Robert Rudolph] is like so many others in this country. Most people don't know about it. {There] are [people] out there who are willing to kill health providers just because they provide abortion services for women. I mean, there are just hundreds of them out there. And somebody has to talk about it. ... It's a story that had to be told to people to make them realize that it's out there "[He] is what I call a terrorist. "My husband and I are both hopeful that this is the real thing this time. Our optimism is still guarded until the proof is there. But, please, I mean, if this is it, it's what we've been waiting for." Debra Rudolph, ex-sister-in-law of Rudolph, was married to his brother, Joel. "When you're involved in a case like this, your mind goes in all different directions. I never thought Eric was dead. I hoped for the family's sake that he would be alive. "I am happy for the families whose family members who were killed and injured in all of the bombings but my heart really goes out to Eric's family. I know a lot of people wouldn't understand that, but I know the family firsthand, and they suffered through a lot when the investigation first started against Eric. "But they're going to have to go through it again, and it was very, very hard on the family to be involved, knowing that your son is accused of doing such a heinous act. I mean, my life hasn't been the same. And I was just married into the family ... ." Duke Blackburn is with the Georgia Department of Corrections and led part of the investigation hunting down Rudolph. "Well, [Rudolph's capture] doesn't surprise me. There's probably not a day that goes by that I don't think about it. I've been involved with it for so long. But I just totally believed that he was still up there. ... "I was physically at the site, at the Olympic Park the morning the bomb went off. The Georgia Department of Corrections has a number of bomb dogs and tracking dogs. I was over the tactical unit for the Olympic Park during the bombing. During the Olympics, we were called in to support the FBI and the ATF and GBI." John Walsh is host of TV's "America's Most Wanted," which featured the search for Rudolph 22 times. "Well, I think it's wonderful that this low-life is off the streets. It's been a five-year manhunt, an intensive manhunt and everyone was afraid he would continue his cowardly bombings. "He's a suspect in not only in the Atlanta Olympic Park bombings, but he's also a suspect in a bombing in Birmingham, Alabama, where he blew the eye out of a nurse's face. That bomb [also] killed an off-duty police officer. He's a suspect in a bombing of a gay bar in Atlanta, and another abortion clinic. And we were always afraid he was going to kill again ... ." Kent Alexander was the U.S. Attorney in Atlanta in 1996 and is now chief counsel for Emory University, also in Atlanta. "I'm ecstatic, [it's] a long time in coming. We've had so many law enforcement people, so many media, so many citizens, looking for the bomber, who created the Olympic bombing and other bombings. I think I'm ecstatic now. I think a lot of people, including me, can rest easier. ... "I figured he would be found, dead or alive, but would be found. I wasn't sure if it was in North Carolina, whether it be a skeleton or a skeleton with flesh on it. It was the latter obviously. I suspect he got tired of running. I'm glad he did." .
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I think it's wonderful that this low-life is off the streets
