Body of Alabama hostage-taker removed from bunker

FBI and other officials said the team exchanged gunfire with Dykes and killed him before rescuing the boy, whom law enforcement officials only identified by his first name, Ethan.

Hostage-rescue methods were far from the minds of folks in Midland City

On Wednesday, Ethan's sixth birthday, Midland City residents sought to resume a normal life after the ordeal that upended lives in the tight-knit rural community nestled amid peanut and cotton farms.

The boy, who has Asperger's syndrome and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, was said to be acting like a normal kid despite his ordeal.

Officials hope to eventually throw a party to celebrate Ethan's birthday. They also plan to honor the memory of the slain driver.

Associated Press writers Frank Eltman in Mineola, N.Y., and Lolita Baldor in Washington, contributed to this report.