Community Reactions to News of bin Laden's Death

The news broke late Sunday night that Osama bin Laden, the mastermind behind the 9/11 attacks and al-Qaida leader, had been killed. President Obama addressed the nation to report that the United States conducted an operation that killed bin Laden and took possession of his body.

Gov. Martin O'Malley reacted to the news on Monday morning with this prepared statement, “This closes a sad and tragic chapter in our country and our world’s history. Commend the men and women of our Armed Forces and the dedicated public servants of our nation’s security agencies. This should be a day of reflection and prayer for a more peaceful future.”

Obama's address took place around 11:35 p.m. on Sunday, a few hours after the White House released a tweet that he would make an announcement. The tweet caused much speculation among reporters and newshounds, but provided no details about what Obama would say to the nation. Eventually, unconfirmed reports about bin Laden's death started appearing on both Twitter and Facebook.

Here is a sample of what people said about the news Monday morning on the Facebook page for Bowie Patch.

Carl Vettel wrote, "I'm glad he is gone but after 9-1/2 years, does it mean much?"

Jennifer Johnson re-posted the status she put up last night.

"I don't think I can feel comfortable celebrating the death of anyone, no matter how heinous their crimes. I'm glad that he has finally been stopped, but I know to the root of my being that the evil that bin Laden represented will just take another leader. I'll be praying for all of our troops overseas in this time of uncertainty," she wrote.

Please add your comments below.