Timothy McVeigh

Timothy McVeigh was an American domestic terrorist who detonated a truck bomb outside Oklahoma City’s Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building on April 19, 1995, killing 168 people.

Oklahoma City bombing: A 1995 truck bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building that killed 168 people. McVeigh carried out this attack, the deadliest act of domestic terrorism in U.S. history.
Gulf War: A 1990–1991 conflict in which a U.S.-led coalition expelled Iraqi forces from Kuwait. McVeigh served in the U.S. Army during the conflict and received a Bronze Star.
Truck bomb: An explosive device carried in a vehicle and detonated to damage nearby structures and people. McVeigh used a rented truck to conceal and deliver the bomb.
Antiterrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act of 1996: A U.S. law enacted in 1996 that changed federal habeas corpus rules and expanded counterterrorism measures. The bombing accelerated congressional action on this legislation.
Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building: A federal office building in Oklahoma City destroyed by a truck bomb on April 19, 1995. McVeigh targeted the building because it housed federal agencies.
Ruby Ridge: A 1992 armed confrontation between federal agents and the Weaver family in Idaho. McVeigh cited Ruby Ridge as evidence of federal government tyranny.
Ammonium nitrate: A chemical compound widely used in fertilizers and, under certain conditions, as an explosive ingredient. The bomb used ammonium nitrate fertilizer as its principal explosive material.
Oklahoma City National Memorial Act: A 1997 federal law establishing the Oklahoma City National Memorial as a national memorial. Congress created the memorial in response to the bombing’s lasting public significance.
Terry Nichols: An American accomplice convicted for his role in the Oklahoma City bombing. Nichols helped McVeigh prepare the bombing and was tried separately.
Waco siege: A 51-day 1993 standoff between federal agents and the Branch Davidians near Waco, Texas. The siege’s violent ending became a central grievance in McVeigh’s motive.

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Ed BradleyRelated: Bradley conducted a notable 60 Minutes interview with McVeigh before his execution.