Oklahoma City Bombing
168 people killed in nation's worst domestic terror attack 30 years ago
Thirty years ago, on April 19, 1995, at precisely 9:02 a.m., a rented truck laden with the raw materials of a homemade bomb—agricultural fertilizer, diesel fuel, and other chemicals—exploded in front of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City.
A third of the building was reduced to rubble, with floors flattened like pancakes. The devastation killed 168 people, including 19 children, and left hundreds more injured. Dozens of cars were incinerated, and more than 300 nearby buildings were damaged or destroyed.
It was the worst act of homegrown terrorism in the nation’s history.
Photo Gallery
Select image to view gallery
The FBI quickly arrived at the scene and began supporting rescue efforts and investigating the facts.
Investigators the next day found the rear axle of a Ryder truck, along with a vehicle identification number that was traced to a body shop in Junction City, Kansas. The truck was rented by Timothy McVeigh.
The FBI soon learned about McVeigh’s extremist ideologies and his anger over the events at Waco two years earlier. Investigators discovered that a friend of McVeigh’s, Terry Nichols, helped build the bomb and that another man, Michael Fortier, was aware of the bomb plot.
The bombing case was quickly solved, but the investigation turned out to be one of the most exhaustive in FBI history.
In Their Own Words
In 2015, Jim Norman described visiting a memorial for the victims of the Oklahoma City bombing. Norman was the lead case agent for the FBI’s investigation. He retired from the Bureau in 2016 after 30 years of service and passed away in 2021. See video interview.
Florence Rogers was CEO of the Federal Employees Credit Union in the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City. She was in the building when a bomb exploded at 9:02 a.m. on April 19, 1995. She passed away in 2024. See video interview.
Bob Ricks was in charge of the FBI's Oklahoma City Field office at the time of the bombing. In 2015, he described the early moments of the investigation in 1995.
See video interview.
Barry Black recalls responding to the bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City in 1995. He retired from the FBI in 2020 after 32 years of service. See story and video interview.
By the time it was over, the Bureau had conducted more than 28,000 interviews, followed some 43,000 investigative leads, amassed three-and-a-half tons of evidence, and reviewed nearly a billion pieces of information.
“As we recognize this solemn 30th anniversary of the bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in downtown Oklahoma City, we remember the victims, their families, and the survivors of this horrific event," said Douglas Goodwater, special agent in charge of FBI Oklahoma City. "We also pay tribute to those who answered the call – firefighters, police, paramedics, and the people of Oklahoma. The response and support from the public following the bombing resulted in a statewide initiative called the Oklahoma Standard, promoting values of service, honor, and kindness.
"The historic investigation that followed strengthened partnerships among law enforcement at all levels of government. I’m proud to say those partnerships, and the spirit of the Oklahoma Standard, endure to this day.”
