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Olympic park reopens
Service to honor bomb victims
July 30, 1996
Web posted at: 8:07 a.m. EDT
ATLANTA (CNN) -- After an early Saturday bombing and three days of exhaustive investigation, Atlanta's Centennial Olympic Park has reopened.
Atlanta planned a somber but uplifting memorial service at the site of the pipe bomb explosion, which killed one person and injured more than 100. In addition, a Turkish cameraman died of a heart attack while running to cover the blast.
Former Mayor Andrew Young, an ordained minister who helped bring the 1996 Summer Games to Atlanta, was to preside over the 10 a.m. service honoring the victims of the attack.
Choir and solo singing was planned. Olympians and politicians were among the expected guests.
Authorities, meanwhile, were pressing ahead in their hunt for whoever was responsible.
Preparation, security
Blood had been washed from engraved bricks that serve as the walkway for much of the park in the city's downtown area. Fresh sheets of corrugated aluminum gleamed at the base of a lighting tower that took the full force of the blast.
The 21-acre grass and brick plaza has become a popular gathering place for tourists and local residents alike. Dominated by corporate exhibits, the park also includes stages for free musical performances.
The bomb went off between two of the commercial structures, the Swatch Pavilion and the stage of the AT&T Global Olympic Village.
The park's entertainment and commercial ventures were to remain closed until after the service.
Olympic organizers say the reopened park is far more secure. They have doubled the police presence, installed additional surveillance systems and initiated random searches of visitors' bags. Metal detectors will not be used.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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