The Olympics is an event built to bring countries together to compete against each other in numerous sports activities as well as to celebrate the victories within each country.  The United States was thrilled to host the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta, Georgia.  With the passing of the torch, the games and celebrations began. Bands were being interviewed and preparing to play in Centennial Olympic park when a bomb went off. This bomb killed two people and injured hundreds of others. There would no longer be concerts or celebration, instead, President Clinton would give a speech sending out condolences to the families affected, to the other countries, and to the athletes. President Clinton announced that the bomb was planted by terrorists and vowed to find them.  Communities grow stronger and more courageous through bad situations such as the 1996 Olympic Park Bombing.

                On July 27th in Centennial Olympic park, a guard noticed a suspicious backpack and took immediate action. The guard called for a bomb squad and started clearing the area. 30 minutes before the bomb detonated there was a 911 call warning about a bomb but for some reason, the information was not relayed over to Centennial Olympic Park. If the guard had not taken immediate action, many more lives would have been taken on that day.

                Immediately after the attack, investigation began. Officers found the public telephone where the 911 call was placed and dusted for finger prints. The bomb was declared a pipe bomb that was loaded with nails and other shrapnel that injured over 100 people.

                Investigators first suspected Richard Jewell (the guard who took action immediately). The New York Times later wrote on this subject saying “The tragedy was that his sense of duty and diligence made him a suspect.” When the investigators first began suspecting Jewell, they had no evidence or clues leading to him except that Jewell took immediate action in clearing the stands. The investigators searched Jewell’s apartment His name was not cleared until the arrest of Eric Rudolph in 1998 who then confessed to the placement of four bombs.

​

works cited

2

"Eric Rudolph." Encyclopedia Britannica Online.

     Encyclopedia Britannica, 2016 Web. 21 Sept. 2016.

"Bomb Explodes at the 1996 Summer Olympics." NY Daily

     News. N.p., 2016. Web. 21 Sept. 2016.