“The death of bin Laden marks the most significant achievement to date in our nation’s effort to defeat al Qaeda,” Obama said during a televised address Sunday, later adding “his demise should be welcomed by all those who believe in peace and human dignity.”

Obama said CIA reports that put a possible location on bin Laden arrived at his desk in August 2010. The president said he authorized the operation to kill bin Laden over the weekend when credible information as to his whereabouts arose.

News outlets including The New York Times and The Washington Post are reporting bin Laden was killed in a mansion outside Islamabad, Pakistan.

“Justice has been done,” Obama said.

Obama did not say how authorities determined the man killed was bin Laden and not a “body double.” Some reports are speculating bin Laden DNA samples held by the U.S. were matched with the body.

Obama noted al Qaeda is not likely to disappear despite bin Laden’s death.

“There is no doubt al Qaeda will continue to pursue attacks against us,” Obama said. “We must and will remain vigilant at home and abroad.”

Scott Westerman, executive director of the MSU Alumni Association, said he heard from more than a hundred alumni Sunday night regarding the announcement.

“There isn’t a one of us who has not been touched in some way by the events of 9/11 and Osama Bin Laden’s death marks a crossroad in what we all know will be an ongoing fight against terrorism,” Westerman said in a statement. “One of our alums wrote to me that, ‘The Spartan ethic promotes peace and understanding through advancing knowledge and building hope for people everywhere.’

“Another texted me that, “terrorism will continue to be a fact of life.’ An alum who is currently serving in the air force told me that his base is on heightened alert. Now begins a most dangerous time for our troops overseas. Keep our true heroes in your thoughts.”

U.S. Rep. Mike Rogers, R-Brighton, issued a statement after news of bin Laden’s death. Rogers, who represents a district that includes MSU and East Lansing, heads the U.S. House Intelligence Committee.

“We have brought to justice a terrorist with the blood of thousands of Americans on his hands, and brought justice to the families of his victims,” Rogers said in the statement. “While we can all certainly celebrate this important victory, the fight will go on.”

Current MSU students also are seeing the impacts of the announcement, in Washington D.C., and East Lansing.

Journalism and Spanish junior Julie Mianecki, who currently is completing a journalism internship in Washington, D.C. through the Tribune Company, said the atmosphere around the White House was “crazy.”

Mianecki compared it to her time in Spain following last summer’s World Cup, and said the crowd was comprised of a large number of young people, most of whom were singing the national anthem and celebrating.

Mianecki said she had seen no major incidents, but added the gathering was well into the hundreds.

“I wasn’t sure if I believed (the news) at first,” she said. “But, then we were like ‘we should at least get into a cab and go into the White House.”

In East Lansing, students, such as advertising sophomore Kelsey Burgess, were surprised. Burgess was at first skeptical about the accuracy of the reports, but thought the news potentially could lead to impromptu parties by MSU students.

“I questioned if it was real,” she said. “I definitely think there’s going to be celebrations, but I don’t know if they would get out of control.”

Despite the potential parties and riots seen on campuses across the country, most student at MSU felt safe, said Aaron Greenberg, a pre-med sophomore.

“I don’t think it’s going to be that big,” he said. “I feel like people don’t view him as threatening anymore.”

No additional MSU or East Lansing police have been dispatched Sunday night or Monday morning to respond to celebrations, MSU and East Lansing police officers said.

The MSU Police Department received several noise complaints on students gathering outside around midnight, MSU Police Sgt. Shaun Mills said. No destruction of property calls were made as of about 1 a.m. Monday, Mills said.

Although celebrations might have been related to finals week, one group of 4-5 students chanted “USA, USA,” as they walked through campus, Mills said.

“Nobody was causing any problems,” Mills said. “(They) just were relieving any stress.”

Nothing else unusual was observed, East Lansing police Sgt. Carl Nowak said.

Check back at statenews.com for more updates as they become available.