Son of 9/11 Victim: I Am In Tears

Osama bin Laden is dead. And 2005 Hopatcong High School graduate Anthony Cirri, whose father was killed on 9/11, feels great.

"All I can say is I am in tears. It has been 10 years and it feels like a relief that [bin Laden] is dead," Cirri said.

President Barack Obama told the nation late Sunday night U.S. forces killed bin Laden and are in possession of his body. "Justice has been done," the president said. While he did not provide details, he said that the U.S. has been tracking bin Laden for months and finally located him in a residence in Pakistan. After a firefight, the president said, bin Laden was killed, with no loss of U.S. lives.

Bin Laden was leader of al Qaeda, the terrorist network behind the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, which killed approximately 3,000 people, including Lt. Robert Cirri, who was with the Port Authority Police.

"This makes me feel great. It feels like a weight has been lifted off my shoulders," Anthony Cirri, an investigator with the North Bergen Police Department, said late Sunday night. "It will help bring closure finally. My father can finally rest in peace."

The younger Cirri is a third-generation member of the NBPD; his father had been with that department for 15 years.

"My father played a huge role in me wanting to be a cop," Anthony Cirri said. "I knew it was what I wanted to do after he died."

Also listed among the dead in several resources is Daniel R. Nolan of Hopatcong, who was 44. This year marks the 10-year anniversary of the attacks.

Other residents of Hopatcong and nearby towns had more mixed reactions after hearing Obama's address Sunday night.

"At least he finally gave George Bush credit for something," Hopatcong resident Mike Cahn said.

And like several others reeling from the news Sunday night, he looked ahead to the future with caution.

"We're not at war with Islam. But they're still at war with us. They're not going to stop because Bin Laden's dead," Cahn said.

Hopatcong resident Colin McGilligan, a 10-year borough resident, was sitting at the bar at Muldoon's around midnight.

"My initial reaction was, 'Thank God we finally got him.' And then when I had a minute to think about it, I thought to myself, 'Thank God I'm not traveling right now.' And I have friends that are," he said. "I also thought about the repercussions of this. I thought that I'm worried that maybe there's cells in this area or in the United States that are waiting to react to this. I also thought that when I watched Obama's speech on television that it was a rehearsed speech for when we finally got him. Part of it was telling the American people how it happened. I also think that part of his speech was a way for him to gain American votes."

McGilligan said he worried about a friend traveling overnight, from Ireland, and about what might come next in the War on Terror.

Members of Hopatcong's ambulance squad watched the news on the TV in the squad building. They said there was a burst of cheers when they heard of Bin Laden's death on the news.

"It was a little surreal. It's about time. It's about time. God bless our troops. We wish them luck and we hope they come back soon," Hopatcong ambulance squad member Dan Rodriguez said.

But Mount Olive resident Colleen Van Wie, 27, was skeptical as she sat in a Roxbury TGI Friday's. She said she didn't really believe much of Obama's speech or the news she heard, and wouldn't be convinced until she saw the body.

"I feel like Obama really took an emotional approach to 9/11 and really wanted to come out looking like the hero. So he made it about him. I think all around it came out too quickly, too convenient," she said. 

Reactions from New Jersey Officials

"As a nation, we may all feel some measure of closure that justice was accomplished," New Jersey Senator Robert Menendez said in a prepared statement Sunday night. "That through persistence and continued perseverance Osama Bin Laden and others were found and held accountable. Like all Americans, New Jerseyans, never forgot the heinous actions of those responsible, never forgot those whose lives were lost, never stopped asking questions of our government, and never ceased continuing the pressure on the importance of capturing Bin Laden and bringing justice to those responsible."

Menendez said he hoped the loved ones of 9/11 victims might find  "solace and a measure of closure today."

"I want to commend President Obama's Administration for its commitment and dedication to finally bringing Osama bin Laden to justice," Gov. Chris Christie said Sunday night. "As the former U.S. Attorney and now Governor of New Jersey, I speak for all the families of this state who have courageously endured the unspeakable and devastating consequences of terrorism. There is hardly a life that has gone untouched in New Jersey by the horrifying assault on American soil that took place on September 11th and today, after years of waiting, justice has finally been delivered. While our fight against terrorism continues, Osama bin Laden's reign of terror has come to an end, sending a clear signal that even in the face of immeasurable horror, democracy and freedom continue to prevail."

"People across the civilized world will have great satisfaction and relief with news of the death of Osama bin Laden, one of the worst killers in the history of man," Sen. Frank R. Lautenberg said.

Patch invites all its readers to share their thoughts on bin Laden's death in the comments below. It also invites those whose lives were touched by the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks to contact editor Brendan Kuty at Brendan@Patch.com or 973-280-9602.