OKLAHOMA CITY BOMBING FORENSICS

Timothy McVeigh McVeigh, an anti- government sympathizer and Gulf War veteran, sought revenge against the federal government for their handling of the Waco Siege, which ended in the deaths of 76, as well as for the Ruby Ridge incident in 1992 which ended in the deaths of 2 anti-government The Oklahoma City 86 cars, and shattered glass survivalist. McVeigh hoped Bombing was a domestic in 258 nearby buildings, to inspire a revolt against terrorist bomb attack on causing at least an what he considered to be the Alfred P. Murrah estimated $652 million a tyrannical federal Federal Building in worth of damage. Within government. downtown Oklahoma City 90 minutes of the on April 19, 1995. It explosion, Timothy remained the most McVeigh was stopped by destructive act of terrorism an Oklahoma State committed in the United Trooper for driving States until the September without a license plate and 11 attacks of 2001. The arrested for unlawfully bombing killed 168 people carrying a weapon. While and injured more than 680 McVeigh was still in jail, others. The blast destroyed forensic evidence quickly or damaged 324 buildings linked he and a friend, within a 16-block radius, Terry Nichols to the destroyed or burned attack.

A m m o n i u m N i t r a t e Timothy McVeigh

Oklahoma City

McVeigh claimed to have been a target of maintained relatively poor grades until bullying at school, and took refuge in a his 1986 graduation. McVeigh’s fantasy world where he imagined fascination with firearms began when he retaliating against the bullies. At the end was introduced to weapons by his of his life, he stated his belief that the grandfather. He told people he wanted to United States be a gun shop owner and sometimes took government is firearms to school to impress his the ultimate classmates. McVeigh became intensely bully. Most interested in gun rights after he graduated who knew from high school. He joined the Army McVeigh and graduated in May of 1988, at age 20. remember While in the military, McVeigh used him as being much of his spare time to read about very firearms, and explosives. McVeigh was withdrawn and shy, with a few describing reprimanded by him as an outgoing and playful child who the military for withdrew as an adolescent. McVeigh is wearing a "White said to have had only one girlfriend Power" T-shirt to during his childhood, later stating to protest against journalists he did not know how to black servicemen impress girls. While in high school, who wore what McVeigh became interested in computers he viewed as and hacked into government computer "Black Power" T-shirts. McVeigh was systems on his Commodore 64, under the awarded a Bronze Star for his service in handle "The Wanderer". In his senior the first Gulf War. In interviews following year, McVeigh was named Starpoint the Oklahoma City bombing, McVeigh Central High School's "most promising said he began harboring anti-government computer programmer," but he feelings during the Gulf War. hatred of the ATF McVeigh After leaving the army in 1992, incident, shot and killed Randy Weaver's McVeigh grew increasingly transient. At wife while she held an infant child.), "in

- BURKS first he worked briefly near his the hope that somebody in the ‘Patriot hometown as a security guard, where movement’ would assassinate the he sounded off daily to his co-workers sharpshooter." In April 1993, McVeigh

SCIENCE about his loathing for government. headed for a farm in Michigan where a

Deciding the New York area was too former Army friend, Terry Nichols lived. liberal, he left his job and began driving In between McVeigh's anti-government around America, seeking out his old watching rhetoric became radical as FORENSIC friends from the Army. In 1993, he reruns of the drove to Waco, Texas during the Branch Waco siege on he began to sell ATF hats Davidian siege to show his support. At TV, Nichols riddled with bullet holes and the siege, he distributed pro-gun rights and his a flare gun, which, he said, literature and bumper stickers, such as brother began "When guns are outlawed, I will become teaching an outlaw." He became increasingly McVeigh how to make explosives out of more enraged at the way in which the readily available materials. McVeigh’s ATF (Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms new goal was “a campaign of agency) overtook the Waco compound. assassination” against those who For the next five months, McVeigh represented the government. He worked at gun shows and handed out believed he could make the loudest free cards printed with Lon Horiuchi's statement by bombing a federal name and address (Horiuchi is an FBI/ building. ATF sniper who at the Ruby Ridge T I M O T H Y M C V E I G H Working at a lakeside local hotel manager identified the campground near McVeigh's old sketch as Timothy McVeigh. Army post, he and Nichols Shortly after the bombing, while constructed an explosive device driving on I-35 in Oklahoma, mounted in the back of a rented McVeigh was stopped by Ryder truck. The bomb consisted Oklahoma State Troopers who of about 5,000 pounds (2,300 kg) had passed McVeigh's yellow of ammonium nitrate. On April 19, 1977 Mercury Marquis and 1995 (on the 2nd anniversary of noticed that it had no license the Waco, Texas seige), McVeigh plate. McVeigh admitted to the drove the truck to the front of the police officer (who noticed a Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building bulge under his jacket) that he just as its offices opened for the had a gun and he was day. Before arriving, he stopped subsequently arrested for having to light a two minute fuse. At driven without plates and illegal 09:02, a large explosion firearm possession; McVeigh's destroyed the north half of the concealed weapon permit was building. The explosion killed 168 not legal in Oklahoma. McVeigh individuals, including 19 children was wearing a T-shirt at that time who were attending a day care on with a picture of Abraham Lincoln the second floor of the federal and the motto: sic semper building. tyrannis ('Thus always to By tracing the Vehicle tyrants'), the state motto of Identification Number (VIN) of a Virginia and also the words rear axle found in the wreckage, shouted by John Wilkes Booth the FBI identified the vehicle as a after he shot Lincoln. On the Ryder Rental box truck rented back, it had a tree with a picture from Junction City, Kansas. of three blood droplets and the Workers at the agency assisted Thomas Jefferson quote, "The an FBI artist in creating a sketch tree of liberty must be refreshed of the renter, who had used the from time to time with the blood of alias "Robert Kling". The sketch patriots and tyrants." was shown in the area and a INFAMOUS CASES - BURKS

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FBI investigations to drop off the getaway car. sentenced to die by lethal discovered several receipts Using a search warrant, injection. He remained indicating McVeigh’s investigators found in his convinced that the death’s partner, Terry Nichols, had home receipts for bomb of the innocent victims was purchased large amounts making equipment, blasting just; stating, “If there is a (over 2 tons) of ammonium caps, and a hand drawn map hell, then I'll be in good nitrate fertilizer and stored of downtown Oklahoma company with a lot of it in rented storage units. City. fighter pilots who also had Surveillance cameras to bomb innocents to win identified Nichols truck Nichols was convicted of the war.” He further stated, circling the Murrah conspiring to use a weapon “It’s the nature of the Building three days before of ‘mass destruction’ and beast.” the bombing. Nichols wife was given a sentence of life also confirmed to the court in prison without the of her husband’s trip with possibility of parole. McVeigh was executed by McVeigh to Oklahoma City On August 10th, 1995, lethal injection McVeigh was formally at charged with the bombing. 7:14 a.m. on June 11, 2001 Two years later he was convicted and was NAME ______DATE ______Timothy McVeigh ‘Oklahoma City Bombing’

1. As a high school student, what skill did McVeigh possess?

2. Yes or No - McVeigh was a supporter of gun control?

3. Why was McVeigh reprimanded by the Army?

4. While in attendance at the Waco Siege, what did McVeigh distribute to various people?

5. What two events in 1992 sparked McVeigh’s anti-government rage?

6. Which ATF sniper did McVeigh want assassinated?

7. How did investigators identify the vehicle used in the Murrah Federal Building explosion?

8. Why was it known that Terry Nichols truck had visited the Federal Building three days prior to the bombing?

9. Upon arrest, McVeigh was wearing a shirt with the motto - sic temper tyrannis. What is the meaning of this quote?

10. Yes or No - at any time, was McVeigh remorseful for the 168 lives he took?