On April 19, 1995, Timothy McVeigh, an American anti-government extremist and combat veteran of the Gulf War, carried out a domestic terrorist attack on the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. McVeigh, assisted by Terry Nichols, detonated a makeshift bomb stored in a rental truck parked in front of the federal building as an act of domestic terrorism motivated by anti-government ideology.
The attack unfolded when McVeigh, who had rented a Ryder truck, detonated explosives that he had filled the vehicle with. Terry Nichols had assisted McVeigh in planning the attack and in making the explosives. Within 90 minutes of the explosion, McVeigh was stopped by Oklahoma Highway Patrolman Charlie Hanger for driving without a front license plate and arrested for illegal weapons possession. Forensic evidence quickly linked both McVeigh and Nichols to the attack, and within days, both men were charged. Michael and Lori Fortier were later identified as accomplices to the bombing.
The bombing resulted in devastating consequences for Oklahoma City and the nation. The explosion killed 167 people and injured 684 others, with an additional rescue worker killed by falling debris during rescue operations, bringing the total death toll to 168. The blast destroyed more than a third of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building, destroyed or damaged 324 other buildings, destroyed 86 vehicles, and caused an estimated $652 million in damage. The attack stands as a significant act of domestic terrorism in American history.
168 killed (167 initial deaths plus 1 rescue worker); 684 injured
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