Osama bin Laden's death draws cheers, fireworks in L.A. area

President Obama's speech announcing the death of 9/11 mastermind Osama Bin Laden was met with cheers and even some fireworks around Southern California.

About 25 Jewish students at USC were just finishing a ceremonial dinner at the campus Chabad House when whispers began making their way around the table and diners became focused on their smart phones. "Osama bin Laden is dead! It's on Twitter," one student finally said. The room erupted in cheers and high fives.

At Trax bar at Union Station, a Times reporter and her party asked bartenders who were cleaning up and closing the bar to turn on the TV when they heard of Bin Laden's death. The bartenders asked the patrons' names, shook their hands and said he would remember this moment that we were together when we found out.

Fireworks were heard in several communities after Obama's speech, including Long Beach, Lakewood and Pacoima.

Sen. Dianne Feinstein, speaking at a small open-air Santa Monica memorial for California political consultant Kam Kuwata, announced at the end of her remarks that Bin Laden was dead. 

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-- Mitchell Landsberg, Gale Holland and Seema Mehta

Photo: People gather to watch President Obama's announcement of Osama bin Laden's killing inside ESPN Zone at L.A. Live in downtown Los Angeles. Credit: Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times

Comments

[Nick]

USA USA USA!!!

[NickFun]

Ding Dong the Witch is Dead. Let's get real. Nothing has changed. Al Qeda is still theere.

[Justin]

I am overcome with emotion even as I write this comment; what a historic event! The feeling of...resolution about this news is so intense. God Bless the U.S.A.

[Hector P. Rivera]

Finally !!!!!!

[Shortstop]

How long will it be before Donald Trump demands to see the death certificate?

[twobeers]

Simply amazing news. This must be what it felt like to hear Hitler was dead two generations ago. This is a day I will tell my children about- I only wish I could be in DC or NY to celebrate with the people in the streets. America needed this at a time where the weight of the war was become too large a burden and we were beginning to forget just why we were fighting in the first place.

[Gs]

Celebrating murder. Well aren't we the best country in the world.

[cheryl stoddard]

This is truly a great moment for the country and for our great President. Barack Obama is a great man and he needs to have the respect from everyone in this country for what he has achieved, along with the amazing men in the military. He said he would make this his number one priority and he did. The Republican's need to give this President the credit he deserves. I just hope that now everyone will realize what a great American he is and that once and for all we can understand he was born here and loves his country. He gave closure to many devastated by the 2011 attacks. God Bless American.

[Nicholas Charles]

Praises for the death of Osama Bin Laden. Islam is doomed, death to Islam.

[yourstruly1]

I love how these days people assume everything you hear on Twitter is true. The people mentioned in this article would have thought the sky was actually falling because it was first heard on Twitter.