On April 19th 1995 at 9:02 a.m. a bomb, weighing 5,000 pounds was hidden inside a rented Ryder truck. The bomb was planted by Timothy McVeigh and Terry Nichols. It exploded just outside the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City. The bomb killed 168 people, including 19 who were in the buildings day care center at the time of the explosion. The explosion caused massive damage to the structure of the building. The bomb not only effected the building, but it also effected the families of the victims, our nation in its entirety.

     “A massive hunt for the bombing suspects ensued, and on April 21 an eyewitness description led authorities to charge Timothy McVeigh (1968-2001), a former U.S. Army soldier, in the case. As it turned out, McVeigh was already in jail, having been stopped a little more than an hour after the bombing for a traffic violation and then arrested for unlawfully carrying a handgun. Shortly before he was scheduled to be released from jail, he was identified as a prime suspect in the bombing and charged. That same day, Terry Nichols (1955-), an associate of McVeigh’s, surrendered in Herington, Kansas. Both men were found to be members of a radical right-wing survivalist group based in Michigan”(Oklahoma 1). Michael Fortier was a friend of McVeigh and Nichols. Fortier knew of McVeigh’s plan to bomb the building. He agreed to testify against McVeigh and Nichols if his sentence was reduced on August 8th. McVeigh and Nichols were indicted on charges of unlawful use of explosives and murder 2 days later on August 10th.

     McVeigh’s motive was left unsaid for years after the bombing. In 2001 he released a letter to Fox News correspondent Rita Cosby. He stated that,” the bombing was a retaliatory strike; a counter attack, for the cumulative raids that federal agents had participated in over the preceding years” and that he,” decided to send a message to a government that was becoming increasingly hostile, by bombing a government building and the government employees within that building who represent that government,” (McVeigh 4).

168 people were killed. That’s 168 families. Not including the hundreds of people who were injured. The bombing personally affected over 700 families and the communities that they live in. They lost mothers, fathers, children, aunts uncles and friends on that day in 1995. The impact of that tragedy still lives on. In April of 2010, on the 15th anniversary the families and friends of the victims gathered together to remember their loved ones. People who were injured and survived spoke at the event, along with family members and people who were first responders. People spoke about what they felt when they heard the explosion. Some said they felt the blast from as many as 7 miles away. They also spoke about the Children that were killed as a result as the bomb. 15 children were killed that day. Ranging from the ages of 5 to 6 months old. These were children of workers in the building. Some of those parents died also, some did not. The effect left after the bombing was enormous, but it increased a lot for people, because innocent children were murdered.

During the 1990s, this was the first time American Soul had encounter terrorism on their soil. In 1993 the World Trade Center was bombed. In 1994, the first school shooting happened in Paducah, Kentucky. Then in 1995 the Oklahoma City Bombing occurred. These three events changed Americas state of mind. Up until the 90’s the American people hadn’t really had to witness terrorism. They knew what it was and maybe seen it on the news or in the newspaper, but never had it had an effect on them personally.

     So what changed in the U.S. after these attacks? According to Lt. Walter Martin, they increased courthouse security in Oklahoma City. Thousands of people work in Wade county, and they come in and out off the courthouse on a daily basis. Now, none of them get in without going through a metal detector. Not only did the bombing increase security in Wade County Oklahoma, but it also increased court house security though the nation. Terrorism is something to not take lightly. It is a very serious and dangerous thing. They are increasing every year. The Oklohoma City bombing changed the wat Americans view the outside world. From the 90’s and on, we took terrorism a lot more seriously. The way our security checks go now, they are a lot more detailed and sometimes chaotic, unlike security before 1993. After the attack, “The Anti-Terrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act followed, increasing protections afforded to federal workers and the facilities they work in, as well as expanding the FBI’s authority to investigate terrorist attacks against U.S. persons overseas” (Newseum 12).

The Oklahoma City bombing left an impact on the world that will never be forgotten. The families will never forget, Oklahoma City will never forget and the American People will never forget the people whose lives were taken. We will never forget how America changed after the events of terrorism in the 90’s, and the impact of how our country changed.

 

 

 

 

Works Cited

“Impact of Oklahoma City Bombing 20 Years Later.”    

      Newseum. 17 April. 2015, Newseum.org.

      Accessed October 31, 2016.

 

“McVeigh’s Apr. 26 letter to Fox News.” Fox News.26         

      Apr.  2001, Fox News.com. Accessed

      October 31, 2016.

 

“Oklahoma City Bombing.” History1990s. 26 May. 2016,    

      history1990s.about.com. Accessed

      October 31, 2016.

 

“Oklahoma City Bombing.” History.com. 2009,

      History.com. Accessed October 31, 2016.

 

“Oklahoma City Bombing Changed the way Courthouses

      are guarded.” WRAL. 18 Apr. 1999,

      WRAL.com. Accessed October 31, 2016.

 

“Vivtims of the Oklahoma City Bombing.” USA Today 30.

      20 June. 2001, USAtoday30.USAtoday.com.

      Accessed October 31, 2016.

 

“15 years later, victims, residents remember

      Oklahoma   City Bombing.” CNN. 19 April. 2010,              

      CNN.com.Accessed October 31, 2016.