Waving flags and cheering, students ran across campus Sunday night after learning 9/11 mastermind Osama bin Laden was killed by U.S. Special Forces in Pakistan.

President Barack Obama informed the nation late Sunday night that he authorized an operation against the al-Qaida leader last week.

Upon hearing the news, Elias Ballew, a junior in history, went with his friends running around campus, wearing flags on their backs.

“It’s a proud moment — it’s a victory,” Ballew said. “To quote South Park, ‘If you don’t like your team, get out of the stadium.’ We’re cheering for our team.”

Kevin Young, a freshman in mechanical engineering and mathematics, said his girlfriend informed him of Obama’s press conference minutes before it aired.

“I was happy. The biggest catastrophe in American history has been settled … for now,” Young said, after watching the news in the Becton Hall lounge.

In a statement shortly after 11:35 p.m., Obama announced that “justice has been done.”

He said he was notified last week that bin Laden was hiding in a mansion in the Pakistan city of Abbottabad. After a firefight Sunday, U.S. forces killed bin Laden and took custody of his body.

Obama said no Americans were harmed in the firefight and the soldiers took measures to minimize civilian casualties.

“After nearly 10 years of service, struggle and sacrifice, we know well the costs of war,” Obama said. “The death of bin Laden marks the most significant achievement to date in our nation’s effort to defeat al-Qaida.”

However, Obama maintained “the cause of securing our country is not complete.”

“We must — and we will — remain vigilant at home and abroad,” the president said. “We will be relentless in defense of our citizens and our friends and allies.”