Student freed by North Korea has severe neurological injury

WYOMING, Ohio (AP) — An American college student who was imprisoned in North Korea and returned to his home state of Ohio in a coma suffered a "severe neurological injury," a hospital spokeswoman said Thursday.

"Relief that Otto is now home in the arms of those who love him and anger that he was so brutally treated for so long," he said at a news conference at Wyoming High School, where Warmbier graduated in 2013 as class salutatorian and played soccer.

Blue-and-white ribbons in the school's colors were tied around the trees and utility poles all the way along the city's main road in a show of support.

Warmbier also accused North Korea of luring Americans to the country with a Chinese tour company making the false promise they will never be detained.

Residents of the northern Cincinnati suburb tied blue-and-white ribbons, the school colors, to trees near the family's home.

Richardson, a Democrat, credited the State Department with securing Warmbier's return from North Korea without any preconditions but said a forceful response from the U.S. government would be required "if it's determined that there was a cover-up and Otto's condition was not disclosed and he didn't get proper treatment."