Oklahoma City bombing was 30 years ago. Some survivors worry America didn’t learn the lesson
Maryland Sen. Van Hollen meets with man sent to notorious El Salvador prison
Oklahoma
Oklahoma City marking 30 years since bombing killed 168 people
A bomb with a force powerful enough to instantly destroy much of a nine-story building shattered a quiet Oklahoma City morning and sent a shock wave through America.
Saturday is the 30th anniversary of the Oklahoma City bombing, the deadliest homegrown attack in United States history that exposed a dark undercurrent of anti-government extremist anger.
A public ceremony to mark the anniversary at the Oklahoma City National Memorial Museum will include the reading of the names of the 168 people killed, remarks by victim family members and survivors, and a keynote address by former President Bill Clinton.
The victims
The dead ranged in age from three months to 73 years old. Nineteen of them were children. Hundreds more were injured.
The building that was bombed — the Alfred P. Murrah federal complex — included regional offices for several agencies, including the Social Security Administration, the FBI, the Secret Service, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, and a credit union. America’s Kids Daycare was on the second floor.
The bomb, a mixture of ammonium nitrate and diesel fuel packed into a rental truck, sheared off about a third of the building and caused floors to collapse on each other. Some victims not killed by the blast were crushed to death, buried by the falling structure.
The bombers
Authorities initially suspected the attack had been orchestrated by extremists outside the U.S., but the perpetrators turned out to be two former U.S. soldiers.
Timothy McVeigh and Terry Nichols met while serving in the Army. The pair held a deep anger toward the American government that had been sharpened by the 1993 federal raid on the Branch Davidian compound in Waco that killed 76 people, and a standoff in the mountains of Ruby Ridge, Idaho, that left a 14-year-old boy, his mother and a federal agent dead.
The Oklahoma City bombing happened on the second anniversary of the fiery end to the 51-day Waco siege.
McVeigh drove the truck to the site and set the fuse to blow it up. He was convicted of 11 murder counts and executed by lethal injection in 2001. Nichols helped McVeigh plan and build the bomb. He was convicted of conspiracy and involuntary manslaughter, and is serving life in prison.
Domestic extremism
The bombing exposed Americans to violent extremism and anti-government sentiment on home soil. McVeigh and Nichols sympathized with right-wing militia movements that sprang up in the early 1990s and continue to this day, often with ties to conspiracy theories, nationalism and white supremacist ideology.
How to tackle domestic political extremism has proved difficult and politically divisive in the 30 years since the bombing in Oklahoma.
In 1996, Clinton signed an “antiterrorism” law that toughened penalties for a wide range of crimes and made it a crime to target federal workers performing their duties. It also spent about $1 billion, most of it for the FBI, to expand counterterrorism efforts.
Federal criminal law defines domestic terrorism as violence intended to coerce or intimidate a civilian population and to influence government policy, but there is no stand-alone domestic terrorism charge.
In 2022, the Justice Department created a specialized unit focused on what officials described as an “elevated” threat from violent extremists in the U.S. And some survivors of the Oklahoma City bombing have said they worry that anti-government rhetoric in modern-day politics could also lead to violence.
The memorial and ceremony
What was left of the federal building was torn down about a month after the bombing and a memorial complex was built in its place.
The memorial includes a museum, a reflecting pool and 168 empty chairs of glass, bronze and stone etched with the names of those killed. Nineteen of the chairs are smaller than the others to represent the children killed.
Gates to the memorial mark the times, 9:01 a.m. and 9:03 a.m., while the reflecting pond between them represents 9:02 a.m., the minute the bomb exploded. A “Survivor Tree,” a gnarled American elm that withstood the blast, now stands on a small hill and shades the memorial below.
The memorial site is among Oklahoma’s most popular destinations, typically drawing more than 500,000 visitors each year. School children arrive by the busload to learn about the dangers of political violence.
OKLAHOMA CITY –
Resources at Oklahoma City’s Animal Welfare are stretched thin after taking in more than 500 animals in an emergency rescue. Police arrested four people and saved the animals on Thursday in a methamphetamine bust at a home near southeast 15th and High Avenue.
FIRST REPORTED: Four arrested after 30 pounds of meth, hundreds of animals seized from Oklahoma City home
Oklahoma City’s Development Services Director Brock Rowe answered questions about the largest animal seizure in the city’s history.
How many animals were rescued and what species were found?
Animal control officers rescued 523 animals. There were about 470 ducks, chickens, pigeons, and peacocks gathered from the property. Officers took 49 dogs, an unspecified number of cats, one horse, and reptiles.
What is the latest on the animals’ health and condition?
The animals were “taken care of pretty good” and did not appear to be severely abused of malnourished. The situation is believed to be animal hoarding, meaning there were simply too many animals on the property. Staff worked overnight to ensure the animals have food, clean water, bedding and proper car.
What resources is the shelter using to care for so many animals?
The shelter is using temporary crates, kennels, and indoor spaces to accommodate the overflow, especially for birds, while larger animals like the horse are kept outside. Animal welfare officials are reaching out to local partners and organizations that specialize in livestock and birds to help house and care for some of the animals. The shelter is running a “name your price” adoption event to quickly move existing animals out and free up space.
Are the animals considered evidence, and when could they become available for adoption or transfer?
The animals are currently on hold as evidence, and adoption or transfer will only happen after the legal process determines when they can be released.
What is the status of the criminal investigation, and are additional charges expected?
Police arrested four men on drug trafficking complaints during the warrant search. No word if the men will face charges for the animals.
Texas A&M baseball made a massive splash in the transfer portal Friday morning with the pickup of a premier left-hander from a Southeastern Conference foe.
Oklahoma southpaw Trent Collier is returning to his home state to play for the Aggies in 2027, according to reports from TexAgs’ Richard Zane. Collier pitched for the national-championship-winning Sooners this past season, posting a 3.80 ERA through 23.2 innings pitched and striking out 28 hitters. He was called upon for two appearances in Oklahoma’s postseason run to the national title, allowing no hits with two strikeouts against Georgia Tech and North Carolina.
Collier will come to Bryan-College Station to pitch for the Fightin’ Texas Aggies as a junior for head coach Michael Earley in 2027.
Rebuilding a depleted pitching staff was one of the top priorities for Earley this offseason, after posting a 5.24 team ERA in 2026. Collier is the sixth pitcher to commit to the Aggies out of the transfer portal and the ninth overall addition.
The lefty from Prosper, Texas, began his college career at Weatherford Junior College before landing with the Sooners. He made eight appearances, including nine starts, and earned second-team all-conference for recording a 2.65 ERA and 85 strikeouts across 68.0 innings.
After the program parted ways with Jason Kelly, following the regional final loss to USC in College Station, new pitching coach Barry Enright has reeled in some of the top-rated pitchers in the country this offseason, including Collier. The former Sooners star will have the opportunity to develop under Enright, who had stints in the MLB with the Oakland Athletics and Los Angeles Angels.
Contact/Follow us @AggiesWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Texas A&M news, notes and opinions. Follow Dylan on X: @dylanmflippo.
OKLAHOMA CITY –
Four people are in custody after Oklahoma City police seized approximately 30 pounds of methamphetamine and removed dozens of animals from a home in southeast Oklahoma City on Thursday.
Police executed what they confirmed was a drug-related search warrant at a home near Southeast 15th Street and High Avenue. Authorities have not released information about what led investigators to the residence.
Drug Investigation Leads to Large Seizure
According to the Oklahoma City Police Department, officers recovered approximately 30 pounds of methamphetamine from the home during the search.
Police said at least four people were taken into custody. Authorities have not released the identities of those arrested or any related charges.
Numerous Animals Removed From Property
Alongside the drug investigation, Oklahoma City Animal Welfare officers assisted in removing numerous animals from the property.
News 9 cameras captured at least 20 dogs being taken from the home, including one wearing a muzzle. Police said a horse, cats, chickens and snakes were also removed.
Neighbors watched as officers spent hours at the residence.
“This is crazy. Like this is literally crazy,” said Nisha who lives nearby.
Another resident said she saw several people in handcuffs but did not initially know what was happening.
“I saw a couple men in handcuffs. I had no idea what was going on until my neighbor,” Dora Garcia said.
Neighbors say they were aware the home had dogs but were shocked by everything else discovered.
“I knew they had dogs. Everybody over here knew they had dogs, but the rest of this is just mind-boggling,” Nisha said.
She also expressed concern about how close the investigation was to her homes.
“Too close for comfort. Way too close for comfort,” Nisha said.
Investigation Continues
Police said the search warrant was related to a drug investigation but have not released additional details about why officers targeted the home.
The investigation remains ongoing. Oklahoma City police said additional information about those in custody is expected to be released as it becomes available.
This is a developing story.
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