Southwest
Oklahoma City bombing: FBI agent reflects on response to attack 29 years later
![Oklahoma City bombing: FBI agent reflects on response to attack 29 years later Oklahoma City bombing: FBI agent reflects on response to attack 29 years later](https://newspub.live/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/alfred-p-murrah-federal-building-bombing-on-april-19-1995-1.jpg)
Nearly 30 years ago, Ret. FBI Special Agent Barry Black responded to the worst homegrown terrorist attack in U.S. history with just a year of experience as a bomb technician under his belt.
Black was one of two FBI bomb techs in the entire state of Oklahoma, including Jim Norman, when he arrived at the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building, which housed offices for approximately 500 government employees, around 9:30 on April 19, 1995. Nearly half an hour earlier, at 9:02, ex-Army soldier Timothy McVeigh ignited a bomb that took a third of the nine-floor building, killing 168 victims.
“It was horrific and chaotic. The scope and magnitude of the destruction was something like I had never seen before,” Black told Fox News Digital of his memories of the attack 29 years later. “{I’ve] sadly seen similar since. But other than the first World Trade Center attack, the U.S. had not seen an attack like this.”
Black’s responsibility as a bomb tech was to “assess the scene,” he said.
BALTIMORE BRIDGE COLLAPSE: SALVAGE CREWS RACE AGAINST CLOCK AFTER FOURTH BODY FOUND, FBI LAUNCHES PROBE
Ret. FBI Special Agent Barry Black remembers what it was like to respond to the Oklahoma City bombing 29 years later. (FBI)
“We were told maybe it was an airplane crash or a gas main explosion. Clearly it was not. And … the scale was something that few had seen in this country,” the former special agent said.
The explosion registered a 6.0 on the Richter scale and was felt an estimated 55 miles from the scene, according to the Justice Department. It left cars upturned and damaged more than 320 nearby buildings.
![The destroyed Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building](https://newspub.live/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/1713782495_870_Oklahoma-City-bombing-FBI-agent-reflects-on-response-to-attack.jpg)
The explosion registered a 6.0 on the Richter scale, according to the Justice Department. (FBI)
Among the 168 who perished in the attack, 19 were children, as the Murrah building housed a daycare on the second floor. The last of the deceased was a nurse who had been responding to the emergency when a piece of falling debris struck and killed her.
FBI JOINS SEARCH FOR MISSING KANSAS WOMEN IN OKLAHOMA
Black went into the building every week to pick up a paper paycheck. The tellers who handed him that paycheck every week “were all killed,” Black recalled.
![Photos of victims who died during the Oklahoma City bombing in a memorial museum](https://newspub.live/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/1713782495_330_Oklahoma-City-bombing-FBI-agent-reflects-on-response-to-attack.jpg)
Among the 168 who perished in the attack, 19 were children. (Joe Raedle)
His wife, a federal probation officer, was also in the building that morning, but she drove out at 9 a.m., two minutes before the explosion.
FBI DIRECTOR CHRISTOPHER WRAY CITIES INCREASED FOREIGN THREATS IN FISA REAUTHORIZATION PLEA: ‘ROGUES’ GALLERY
“I have been to a number of these catastrophic events. What makes this a little different is: this was in my backyard. These were people I knew. My wife was in the building. At 9:00, she drove out — two minutes before the detonation — and it was about an hour and a half before I knew she was OK,” Black recalled.
When he arrived, “the devastation was overwhelming,” he said.
![Oklahoma City bombing](https://newspub.live/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/1713782495_923_Oklahoma-City-bombing-FBI-agent-reflects-on-response-to-attack.jpg)
Ret. FBI Special Agent Barry Black said “the devastation was overwhelming” at the scene of the Oklahoma City bombing. (FBI)
“But as I did what we call the initial survey — kind of a walkabout to try to assess the damage and get a handle on what may or may not have occurred — I asked some of the security people … if they’d seen my wife, and I recall one specifically said, ‘Yep, I’ve seen her and she’s fine.’ Well, that sort of freed me up. He later told me that he had not. He just thought I needed to hear that she was OK. So, good, bad or indifferent, that’s what he told me. And it took a little of the load off.”
FBI DIRECTOR WARNS OF ‘ELEVATED’ PUBLIC, NATIONAL SAFETY; PUSHES FOR INCREASED FUNDING
While sorting through rubble for evidence a day after the attack, investigators came across the rear axle of a Ryder rental truck used to detonate the bomb with an identification number on it.
![Barry Black stands next to the rear axle of the Ryder rental truck now displayed in a museum](https://newspub.live/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/1713782495_614_Oklahoma-City-bombing-FBI-agent-reflects-on-response-to-attack.jpg)
While sorting through rubble for evidence a day after the attack, investigators came across the rear axle of a Ryder rental truck used to detonate the bomb with an identification number on it. (FBI)
“That morning, a reserve deputy called myself and the other bomb tech, Jim Norman, to that rear … axle, and he wiped away some grease, and we wrote down that CBI and then physically gave it to a runner who … took it to the command post,” Black recalled.
From there, investigators were able to track down the fake name McVeigh used to rent the vehicle, and employees at the rental shop were able to help investigators put together a composite sketch of their suspect. Once the sketch was released to the public, a hotel employee in Junction City, Kansas, identified the suspect as 27-year-old McVeigh.
FBI DIRECTOR SAYS CHINESE HACKERS ARE ‘POISED TO ATTACK’ AS INFILTRATIONS REACH ‘FEVER PITCH’
![A composite sketch of Timothy McVeigh next to a photo of McVeigh](https://newspub.live/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/1713782495_844_Oklahoma-City-bombing-FBI-agent-reflects-on-response-to-attack.jpg)
Authorities were able to identify Timothy McVeigh just 54 hours after the Oklahoma City bombing thanks to a composite sketch. (FBI)
By April 21, authorities learned McVeigh was already in jail after a state trooper pulled him over about 80 miles north of Oklahoma City, just 90 minutes after the bombing, for a missing license plate, according to the FBI. He had a concealed weapon on him at the time and was detained.
Later on, federal agents found evidence of the chemicals used for the bomb on McVeigh’s clothing and a business card on which he had written, “TNT @ $5/stick, need more,” according to the FBI. Authorities also arrested Terry Nichols, who helped McVeigh make the deadly bomb.
![FBI agents stand next to Timothy McVeigh wearing an orange jumpsuit](https://newspub.live/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/1713782495_846_Oklahoma-City-bombing-FBI-agent-reflects-on-response-to-attack.jpg)
Federal agents found evidence of the chemicals used for the bomb on McVeigh’s clothing and a business card on which he had written, “TNT @ $5/stick, need more,” according to the FBI. (FBI)
Following 28,000 interviews that were conducted across the world, investigators were able to piece together McVeigh’s and Nichols’ motives for the horrific act: They were angry about the April 19, 1993, Waco siege, as well as the August 1992 siege at Ruby Ridge, according to the FBI and DOJ.
“I’m confident we know his motivation. It was intended to be the first blow in an upheaval and overthrow of the federal government,” Black said. “Intent is one of those things that’s intangible but required to prove. So there was a great deal of time spent looking into why he would do this. And the same is true whether it’s domestic or international terrorism. But his motivation was proven clearly.”
![Constance Favorite, the mother of bombing victim Lakecha Richardson, prays in front of her daughter's chair in the Field of Empty Chairs sector of the Oklahoma City National Memorial in downtown Oklahoma City 11 June 2001.](https://newspub.live/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/1713782495_459_Oklahoma-City-bombing-FBI-agent-reflects-on-response-to-attack.jpg)
Black said lessons from the FBI’s investigation into the Oklahoma City bombing are still relevant today, (ROBERTO SCHMIDT / AFP)
Black said lessons from the FBI’s investigation into the Oklahoma City bombing are still relevant today, and those lessons are part of what he teaches as a professor at the University of Central Oklahoma Forensic Science Institute.
“There are specific things we would look for on scene, like parts of the bomb, parts of the vehicle that carried the bomb. And that information needs to get relayed quickly to the command post so that the larger, broader external investigation can begin. And that’s how we had McVeigh and Nichols in custody in about 54 hours after detonation,” Black explained. “It was a massive undertaking with law enforcement work[ing] very, very well together.”
McVeigh was executed in 2001 at age 33.
Read the full article from Here
![](https://newspub.live/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/np-logo.png)
Southwest
Who is Mark Kelly? What to know about the senator from Arizona and possible VP pick
![Who is Mark Kelly? What to know about the senator from Arizona and possible VP pick Who is Mark Kelly? What to know about the senator from Arizona and possible VP pick](https://newspub.live/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Mark-Kelly.jpg)
Arizona Sen. Mark Kelly, a Democrat, is rumored to be under consideration to serve as Vice President Kamala Harris’ running mate in the 2024 presidential election.
Kelly, a 60-year-old former astronaut and U.S. Navy captain, has represented Arizona in the U.S. Senate since 2020.
Kelly was elected to the Senate in a 2020 special election that was held following the death of longtime Republican Sen. John McCain in 2018, defeating incumbent GOP Sen. Martha McSally.
A native of Orange, New Jersey, Kelly graduated from the United States Merchant Marine Academy in 1986. He later attended the U.S. Naval Postgraduate School, receiving a Master of Science in aeronautical engineering in 1994.
ARIZONA SENATE CANDIDATE SAYS MARK KELLY WOULD GIVE HARRIS ‘JOLT’ AS VP
Sen. Mark Kelly, D-Ariz., speaks with reporters on July 25, 2024 in Washington, D.C. (Kent Nishimura/Getty Images)
Kelly became a naval aviator in 1987 and was assigned to Attack Squadron 115 in Japan. He made two deployments and flew nearly 40 combat missions in Operation Desert Storm.
He received an array of commendations for his service in the military and retired from the Navy in October 2011. At the time, he wrote in a post on social media, “From the day I entered the United States Merchant Marine Academy in the summer of 1982 to the moment I landed the Space Shuttle Endeavour three weeks ago, it has been my privilege to advance the ideals that define the United States of America.”
Along with his identical twin brother, Scott Kelly, he was selected by NASA to serve as a space shuttle pilot in 1996.
Kelly, who took numerous trips beyond Earth’s atmosphere during his illustrious career as an astronaut, has reportedly logged more than 54 days in space.
Kelly, an independent turned Democrat in 2018, is the husband of former Rep. Gabby Giffords, D-Ariz., who he married in 2007.
Following the attempted assassination attempt of Giffords in 2012, Kelly shied away from public life to assist with his wife’s recovery efforts.
He is also the author of multiple books, including one he co-authored with Giffords in 2012 titled, “Enough: Our Fight to Keep America Safe from Gun Violence.”
HARRIS EDGES CLOSER TO TRUMP IN NEW POLL CONDUCTED AFTER BIDEN’S WITHDRAWAL
![Mark-Kelly,-Kamala-Harris](https://newspub.live/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/1722030631_505_Who-is-Mark-Kelly-What-to-know-about-the-senator.jpg)
Vice President Kamala Harris prepares to swear in Sen. Mark Kelly, D-riz., with his wife Gabrielle Giffords, center, in the old Senate Chamber for the Ceremonial Swearing on Jan. 3, 2023, in Washington, D.C. (Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images)
In January 2013, Kelly and Giffords launched a political action committee named Americans for Responsible Solutions. The organization’s mission promoted what it believed to be solutions to gun violence with elected lawmakers and members of the public.
He won re-election to the Senate in November 2022, when he defeated Republican nominee Blake Masters.
Kelly is not the first astronaut to be elected to Congress. Others include John Glenn, Harrison Schmitt and Jack Swigert.
He is viewed by many political strategists, primarily Democrats, as a safe move for Harris as she considers who will appear alongside her on the November ballot.
Three days after President Biden announced his decision to step aside in the 2024 race for the White House, Kelly fielded questions from reporters in the hallways of the U.S. Capitol, where he was asked whether he would accept the vice presidential nomination.
“This is not about me. This is about the future of this country,” Kelly said at the time.
![Kamala Harris speaks at her Presidential Campaign headquarters in Wilmington](https://newspub.live/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/1722030631_230_Who-is-Mark-Kelly-What-to-know-about-the-senator.jpg)
Vice President Kamala Harris speaks at her presidential campaign headquarters in Wilmington, Delaware, on July 22, 2024. (Erin Schaff/Pool via REUTERS)
“This is a choice between Kamala Harris, who’s an experienced prosecutor, vice president, U.S. senator, [California] attorney general, and a guy who’s a convicted felon,” Kelly added.
Kelly also predicted, following Biden’s drop out, that Harris “is going to win” the state of Arizona in the 2024 election.
Read the full article from Here
Los Angeles, Ca
Iconic Santa Monica Pier Ferris wheel to light up for Team USA
![Iconic Santa Monica Pier Ferris wheel to light up for Team USA Iconic Santa Monica Pier Ferris wheel to light up for Team USA](https://ktla.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2024/07/Pacific-Park%C2%B9s-Ferris-Wheel-2024-Summer-Games-American-Flag-Photo-Image-by-@dougbasscomedy.jpg?w=900)
The iconic Ferris wheel on the Santa Monica Pier will light up nightly during the Paris Olympics to cheer on Team USA beginning Friday.
The nightly light display will feature the five colored rings to symbolize the Olympic rings, a 90-foot-tall waving American flag to celebrate Team USA, a French flag for the current host country and the American flag to represent the games returning to the United States, specifically Los Angeles in 2028.
The Ferris wheel will be lit up from sunset until 12:30 a.m.
The Pacific Wheel is the world’s only solar-powered Ferris wheel, featuring 174,000 LED lights mounted on its 40 spokes and two hubs. The wheel’s lighting system features 16.7 million color value combinations to display dynamic, custom, computer-generated lighting entertainment, according to a news release.
Visitors can visit the theme park from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. to catch a ride on the nine-story carnival ride, which takes riders to heights of more than 130 feet over the Pacific Ocean.
If you can’t make it out to the Santa Monica Pier yourself, Pacific Park offers an online stream of the Ferris wheel.
Los Angeles, Ca
Security guard attacked, hit with skateboard in Santa Ana
![Security guard attacked, hit with skateboard in Santa Ana Security guard attacked, hit with skateboard in Santa Ana](https://ktla.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2024/07/Santa-Ana-skateboard-assault.png?w=900)
Police asked the public for help this week in their search for a man who attacked a Target security guard with a skateboard in Santa Ana last month.
The altercation occurred on June 10, when the security guard asked a trespassing suspect to leave the store located at 1441 W. 17th Street, according to the Santa Ana Police Department.
“The suspect struck the victim multiple times with his skateboard, causing injuries, and then fled the store,” the Police Department stated in a post on Instagram.
Video embedded on the post shows the suspect swinging a skateboard at the guard and then running out of the store.
The attacker was described as a White man between 18 and 25 years old. He had a thin build, curly blonde hair, and was wearing a black sweatshirt, light-colored shirt, blue plaid shorts, black socks and black shoes.
Anyone with information was asked to call police at 714-245-8441.
-
World1 week ago
One dead after car crashes into restaurant in Paris
-
Midwest1 week ago
Michigan rep posts video response to Stephen Colbert's joke about his RNC speech: 'Touché'
-
News1 week ago
Video: Young Republicans on Why Their Party Isn’t Reaching Gen Z (And What They Can Do About It)
-
Movie Reviews1 week ago
Movie Review: A new generation drives into the storm in rousing ‘Twisters’
-
News1 week ago
In Milwaukee, Black Voters Struggle to Find a Home With Either Party
-
Politics1 week ago
Fox News Politics: The Call is Coming from Inside the House
-
News1 week ago
Video: J.D. Vance Accepts Vice-Presidential Nomination
-
World1 week ago
Trump to take RNC stage for first speech since assassination attempt