19 April 1995; Lest We Forget

Oklahoma City bombing
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Oklahoma City bombing occurred on April 19, 1995 when American militia movement sympathizer Timothy McVeigh detonated a truck filled with explosives parked in front of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in downtown Oklahoma City.[1] McVeigh's co-conspirator, Terry Nichols, had assisted in the bomb preparation. It was the most destructive act of terrorism on American soil until the September 11, 2001 attacks, claiming 168 lives, including 19 children under the age of 6.[2] More than 680 people were injured.[3][4] The blast destroyed or damaged 324 buildings within a sixteen-block radius,[5] destroyed or burned 86 cars, and shattered glass in 258 nearby buildings.[6] The bomb was estimated to have caused at least $652 million worth of damage.[7]

Motivated by his hatred of the federal government and angered by what he perceived as its mishandling of the Waco Siege (1993) and the Ruby Ridge incident (1992), McVeigh timed his attack to coincide with the second anniversary of the deaths at Waco.[8][9]

References Notes

1. Thomas, Jo (April 30, 1996). "For First Time, Woman Says McVeigh Told of Bomb Plan" (http://www.nytimes.com/1997/04/30/us/for-first-time-woman-says-mcveigh-told-of-bomb-plan.html?sec=&spon=&pagewanted=all) . The New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/1997/04/30/us/for...pagewanted=all. Retrieved June 5, 2009.

2. "Victims of the Oklahoma City bombing" (http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2001-06-11-mcveigh-victims.htm) . USA Today. Associated Press. June 20, 2001. http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2001-06-11-mcveigh-victims.htm. Retrieved June 29, 2009.

3. Thomas, Jo (May 23, 1997). "McVeigh Defense Team Suggests Real Bomber Was Killed in Blast" (http://www.nytimes.com/1997/05/23/us/mcveigh-defense-team-suggests-real-bomber-was-killed-in-blast.html?sec=&spon=&pagewanted=all) . The New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/1997/05/23/us/mcv...pagewanted=all. Retrieved June 5, 2009.

4. Shariat, Sheryll; Sue Mallonee and Shelli Stephens-Stidham (December 1998). "Summary of Reportable Injuries in Oklahoma" (http://web.archive.org/web/20080110063748/http://www.health.state.ok.us/PROGRAM/injury/Summary/bomb/OKCbomb.htm) . Oklahoma State Department of Health. Archived from the original (http://www.health.state.ok.us/PROGRAM/injury/Summary/bomb/OKCbomb.htm) on January 10, 2008. http://web.archive.org/web/2008011006374...mb/OKCbomb.htm. Retrieved June 5, 2009.

5. Mlakar Sr., Paul F.; W. Gene Corley, Mete A. Sozen, and Chrales H. Thornton. "Blast Loading and Response of Murrah Building" (http://74.125.155.132/search?q=cache:tfIgn2oDZacJ:www.terrorisminfo.mipt.org/GetDoc.asp%3Fid%3D1306%26type%3Dd+"Blast+Loading+and+Response+of+Murrah+Building"&cd=2&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us&lr=lang_en&client=firefox-a) (PDF). Forensic Engineering. http://74.125.155.132/search?q=cache:tfI...ient=firefox-a. Retrieved June 26, 2009.

6. "Oklahoma City Police Department Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building Bombing After Action Report" (http://www.terrorisminfo.mipt.org/pdf/okcfr_App_C.pdf) (PDF). Terrorism Info. pp. 58. http://www.terrorisminfo.mipt.org/pdf/okcfr_App_C.pdf. Retrieved April 6, 2010.

7. Hewitt, Christopher (2003). Understanding Terrorism in America: from the Klan to al Qaeda (http://books.google.com/books?id=EXn8o9duyVoC&pg=PA106) . Routledge. p. 106. http://books.google.com/books?id=EXn8o9duyVoC&pg=PA106.

8. Feldman, Paul (June 18, 1995). "Militia Groups Growing, Study Says Extremism: Despite negative publicity since Oklahoma bombing, membership has risen, Anti-Defamation League finds" (http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/latimes/access/21526848.html?dids=21526848:21526848&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&type=current&date=Jun+18%2C+1995&author=PAUL+FELDMAN&pub=Los+Angeles+Times+%28pre-1997+Fulltext%29&desc=Militia+Groups+Growing%2C+Study+Says+Extremism%3A+Despite+negative+publicity+since+Oklahoma+bombing%2C+membership+has+risen%2C+Anti-Defamation+League+finds.&pqatl=google) (Fee required). Los Angeles Times. http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/latimes/acce...p;pqatl=google. Retrieved April 7, 2010.

9. "McVeigh offers little remorse in letters" (http://www.cjonline.com/stories/061001/new_mcveigh.shtml) . Associated Press. The Topeka Capital-Journal. June 10, 2001. http://www.cjonline.com/stories/061001/new_mcveigh.shtml. Retrieved June 5, 2009.