Olympic Centennial Park

The Centennial Olympic Park bombing occurred during the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, Georgia, United States. The incident took place on July 27, 1996, in Centennial Olympic Park, which was a popular gathering place for visitors attending the games.

Just after 1:30am on the 27th of July, I was awakened by a phone call, ordering me to proceed to the EOC in a remote part of Atlanta. As the Communications rep for The Salvation Army at the time, it didn’t take long to learn what was going on. The biggest issue for me was that the afternoon before I had actually broken my left ankle – which I did not yet know as I was scheduled to go tot he Doctor later in the morning.

Here’s a description of the events:

1. The Olympic Games: The 1996 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXVI Olympiad, were being held in Atlanta from July 19 to August 4, 1996. Centennial Olympic Park, located in downtown Atlanta, was one of the main venues where visitors could enjoy concerts, exhibits, and other Olympic-related festivities.

2. The Bombing: On the evening of July 27, 1996, at approximately 1:20 AM, a pipe bomb packed with nails and screws exploded in Centennial Olympic Park. The explosion occurred near a large concert sound tower. The bomb was placed inside a green military-style backpack, which was intentionally left under a bench in the park.

3. Casualties and Injuries: The explosion caused significant damage and resulted in two fatalities. Alice Hawthorne, a spectator, died from a heart attack following the blast, and Melih Uzunyol, a Turkish cameraman, was killed by flying shrapnel. Additionally, over 100 people were injured in the blast, with many suffering from shrapnel wounds and other injuries.

4. Emergency Response: The explosion triggered an immediate emergency response. Law enforcement, medical personnel, and other first responders rushed to the scene to provide aid to the victims and secure the area.

5. Richard Jewell: Security guard Richard Jewell was on duty that night and discovered the suspicious backpack. He alerted authorities and helped evacuate people from the area before the bomb detonated. Initially, Jewell was hailed as a hero for his actions, but he later became a subject of media scrutiny and was wrongly considered a suspect in the bombing. He was eventually cleared of any involvement in the attack.

6. Investigation and Capture: The investigation into the bombing was conducted by various law enforcement agencies, including the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Atlanta Police Department. In the days following the attack, a series of bombings occurred in the Atlanta area, targeting public places like a gay nightclub and a family planning clinic. The FBI linked these bombings to the same perpetrator, who later came to be known as Eric Robert Rudolph.

7. Eric Robert Rudolph: Eric Rudolph, a domestic terrorist with anti-government and anti-abortion beliefs, was identified as the perpetrator behind the Centennial Olympic Park bombing and the other attacks. Rudolph evaded capture for several years, leading to one of the largest manhunts in U.S. history.

8. Capture and Conviction: In May 2003, after over five years on the run, Rudolph was apprehended in Murphy, North Carolina. He pleaded guilty to all charges related to the bombings, including the Centennial Olympic Park bombing, to avoid the death penalty. In 2005, Rudolph was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.

The Centennial Olympic Park bombing cast a shadow over the 1996 Summer Olympics, but the Games continued, and security measures were subsequently enhanced for future Olympic events. The attack also highlighted the need for improved coordination between law enforcement agencies and security forces during major public gatherings.