Oklahoma City bombing

===Target selection===
[[File:Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building before destruction.jpg|thumb|left|upright|Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building as it appeared before its destruction]]
McVeigh later said that, instead of attacking a building, he had contemplated assassinating Attorney General [[Janet Reno]]; FBI sniper [[Lon Horiuchi]], who had become infamous among extremists because of his participation in the Ruby Ridge and Waco sieges; and others. McVeigh claimed he sometimes regretted not carrying out an assassination campaign.<ref name="FOXLetter"/><ref name="FOXAssassin">{{cite news |title=McVeigh Considered Assassination of Reno, Other Officials |date=April 27, 2001 |publisher=Fox News Channel |url=http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,17501,00.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110209184242/http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,17501,00.html |archive-date=February 9, 2011 |url-status=dead}}</ref> He initially intended to destroy only a federal building, but he later decided that his message would be more powerful if many people were killed in the bombing.{{sfnp|Michel|Herbeck|2001|p=224}} McVeigh's criterion for attack sites was that the target should house at least two of these three [[Federal law enforcement in the United States|federal law enforcement agencies]]: the [[Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms]] (ATF), the [[Federal Bureau of Investigation]] (FBI), and the [[Drug Enforcement Administration]] (DEA). He regarded the presence of additional law enforcement agencies, such as the [[United States Secret Service|Secret Service]] or the [[United States Marshals Service|U.S. Marshals Service]], as a bonus.{{sfnp|Michel|Herbeck|2001|p=167}}

A resident of [[Kingman, Arizona]], McVeigh considered targets in Missouri, Arizona, Texas, and Arkansas.{{sfnp|Michel|Herbeck|2001|p=167}} He said in his authorized biography that he wanted to minimize non-governmental casualties, so he ruled out [[Simmons Tower]], a 40-story building in [[Little Rock, Arkansas]], because a florist's shop occupied space on the ground floor.{{sfnp|Michel|Herbeck|2001|pp=168–169}} In December 1994, McVeigh and Fortier visited Oklahoma City to inspect what would become the target of their campaign: the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building.<ref name="TimeWeight"/>

The nine-story building, built in 1977, was named for [[Alfred P. Murrah|a federal judge]] and housed 14 federal agencies, including the DEA, ATF, [[Social Security Administration]], and recruiting offices for the Army and Marine Corps.<ref name="TerrorFailed">{{cite journal|last=Lewis|first=Carol W.|title=The Terror that Failed: Public Opinion in the Aftermath of the Bombing in Oklahoma City|journal=Public Administration Review|volume=60|issue=3|date=May–June 2000|pages=201–210|url=http://www.accessmylibrary.com/article-1G1-63060012/terror-failed-public-opinion.html|url-access=registration|doi=10.1111/0033-3352.00080|access-date=March 20, 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120307204830/http://www.accessmylibrary.com/article-1G1-63060012/terror-failed-public-opinion.html|archive-date=March 7, 2012|url-status=live}}</ref>

McVeigh chose the Murrah building because he expected its glass front to shatter under the impact of the blast. He also believed that its adjacent large, open parking lot across the street might absorb and dissipate some of the force, and protect the occupants of nearby non-federal buildings.{{sfnp|Michel|Herbeck|2001|pp=168–169}} In addition, McVeigh believed that the open space around the building would provide better photo opportunities for propaganda purposes.{{sfnp|Michel|Herbeck|2001|pp=168–169}} He planned the attack for April 19, 1995, to coincide with not only the second anniversary of the Waco siege but also the 220th anniversary of the [[Battles of Lexington and Concord]] during the American Revolution.{{sfnp|Michel|Herbeck|2001|p=226}} Rumors have also alleged that the bombing was also connected to the planned execution of Richard Snell, an Arkansas white supremacist who was a member of the [[Covenant, the Sword, and the Arm of the Lord]] (CSA) and who was set to be executed the day the bombing took place.<ref name=snellexecution>{{cite web|url=https://encyclopediaofarkansas.net/entries/richard-wayne-snell-11928/|title=Richard Wayne Snell (1930–1995)|publisher=Encyclopedia of Arkansas|accessdate=March 22, 2024}}</ref> Prior to his execution, Snell "predicted" that a bombing would take place that day.<ref name=snellexecution /> Though his execution was not confirmed to be a motive for the bombing, Fort Smith-based federal prosecutor Steven Snyder told the FBI in May 1995 that Snell wanted to blow up the Oklahoma City building as revenge for the IRS raiding his home.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2001-05-05 |title=Jon Ronson on Timothy McVeigh |url=http://www.theguardian.com/world/2001/may/05/mcveigh.usa |access-date=2024-03-22 |website=the Guardian |language=en}}</ref><ref name=may1995>{{cite news|last=Thomas|first=Jo|author2=Ronald Smothers|title=Oklahoma City Building Was Target Of Plot as Early as '83, Official Says|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1995/05/20/us/oklahoma-city-building-was-target-of-plot-as-early-as-83-official-says.html?pagewanted=all&src=pm|work=The New York Times|date=May 20, 1995|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20130107024224/http://www.nytimes.com/1995/05/20/us/oklahoma-city-building-was-target-of-plot-as-early-as-83-official-says.html?pagewanted=all&src=pm|archivedate=January 7, 2013|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name=snell />

====Gathering materials====
[[File:Detailed map of Herington, Kansas.png|thumb|A detailed map of [[Herington, Kansas]], the general location where McVeigh and Nichols stored the [[ammonium nitrate]] fertilizer used for the construction of the bomb. The actual location of the storage unit was located along [[U.S. Route 77|US Highway 77]], adjacent to a [[Pizza Hut]].]]
McVeigh and Nichols purchased or stole the materials they needed to manufacture the bomb, and stored them in rented sheds. In August 1994, McVeigh obtained nine binary-explosive [[Kinestik]]s from gun collector Roger E. Moore, and with Nichols ignited the devices outside Nichols's home in [[Herington, Kansas]].<ref name="PBSTimeline">{{cite news|last=Smith |first=Martin |url=https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/documents/mcveigh/ |title=McVeigh Chronology |work=Frontline |publisher=[[Public Broadcasting Service]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110728134240/http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/documents/mcveigh/ |archive-date=July 28, 2011 |url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name="ForIntNine">{{cite news|last=Scarpa|first=Greg Jr.|url=http://forensic-intelligence.org/RRudman.pdf|title=AP Report of Possible Subcommittee Inquiry into Oklahoma City Bombing, Recent Intelligence Concerning (a) Involvement of FBI Informant; and (b) Imminent Threat|publisher=Forensic Intelligence International|access-date=June 5, 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121029095407/http://forensic-intelligence.org/RRudman.pdf|archive-date=October 29, 2012|url-status=dead}}</ref> On September 30, 1994, Nichols bought forty {{convert|50|lb|kg|adj=on}} bags of [[ammonium nitrate]] fertilizer from Mid-Kansas Coop in [[McPherson, Kansas]], enough to fertilize {{convert|12.5|acre|ha|abbr=off}} of farmland at a rate of {{convert|160|lb|kg}} of nitrogen per acre (.4 ha), an amount commonly used for corn. Nichols bought an additional {{convert|50|lb|kg|adj=on}} bag on October 18, 1994.<ref name="TimeWeight"/> McVeigh approached Fortier and asked him to assist with the bombing project, but he refused.<ref name="trutvImitatingTurner">{{cite news|url=http://www.trutv.com/library/crime/serial_killers/notorious/mcveigh/turner_7.html|title=Imitating Turner |last=Ottley |first=Ted |publisher=truTV |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120119012918/http://www.trutv.com/library/crime/serial_killers/notorious/mcveigh/turner_7.html |archive-date=January 19, 2012 |url-status=dead }}</ref>{{sfnp|Michel|Herbeck|2001|p=201}}

McVeigh and Nichols robbed Moore in his home of $60,000 worth of guns, gold, silver, and jewels, transporting the property in the victim's van.<ref name="trutvImitatingTurner"/> McVeigh wrote Moore a letter in which he claimed that government agents had committed the robbery.{{sfnp|Michel|Herbeck|2001|pp=197–198}} Items stolen from Moore were later found in Nichols's home and in a storage shed he had rented.<ref name="MooreStuff">{{cite news|agency=Associated Press|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=w_wSAAAAIBAJ&pg=3391,28284&dq=were+later+found+in+storage+shed+roger+moore+nichols|title=Evidence builds up against Nichols in trial|work=[[Boca Raton News]]|date=December 16, 1997|access-date=June 29, 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151125184354/https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=w_wSAAAAIBAJ&sjid=VI4DAAAAIBAJ&pg=3391,28284&dq=were+later+found+in+storage+shed+roger+moore+nichols|archive-date=November 25, 2015|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="MooreStuff2">{{cite news|last=Thomas |first=Jo |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1997/11/20/us/bomb-suspect-hid-cash-ex-wife-testifies.html |title=Bomb Suspect Hid Cash, Ex-Wife Testifies |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=November 20, 1997 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130605134938/http://www.nytimes.com/1997/11/20/us/bomb-suspect-hid-cash-ex-wife-testifies.html |archive-date=June 5, 2013 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

In October 1994, McVeigh showed Michael and his wife Lori Fortier a diagram he had drawn of the bomb he wanted to build.<ref name="McVeighBomb33"/> McVeigh planned to construct a bomb containing more than {{convert|5000|lb|kg}} of ammonium nitrate fertilizer mixed with about {{convert|1200|lb|kg}} of liquid [[nitromethane]] and {{convert|350|lb|kg}} of [[Tovex]]. Including the weight of the sixteen 55 gallon [[Drum (container)|drums]] in which the explosive mixture was to be packed, the bomb would have a combined weight of about {{convert|7000|lb|kg}}.{{sfnp|Michel|Herbeck|2001|pp=163–164}} McVeigh originally intended to use [[hydrazine]] rocket fuel, but it proved too expensive.<ref name="trutvImitatingTurner"/>

McVeigh and his accomplices then attempted to purchase {{convert|55|U.S.gal|impgal L|adj=on}} drums of nitromethane at various [[NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series|NHRA Drag Racing Series]] events during the season. His first attempt was at the Sears Craftsman Nationals, held at [[Heartland Motorsports Park]] in [[Pauline, Kansas]]. World Wide Racing Fuels representative Steve LeSueur, one of three dealers of nitromethane, was at his unit when he noted a "young man in fatigues" wanted to purchase nitromethane and hydrazine. Another fuel salesman, Glynn Tipton, of VP Racing Fuels, testified on May 1, 1997, about McVeigh's attempts to purchase both nitromethane and hydrazine. After the event, Tipton informed Wade Gray of Texas Allied Chemical, a chemical agent for VP Racing Fuels, who informed Tipton of the explosiveness of a nitromethane and hydrazine mixture. McVeigh, using an assumed name, then called Tipton's office. Suspicious of his behavior, Tipton refused to sell McVeigh the fuel.<REF> [https://libertarianinstitute.org/documents/1997_05_01-McV_Trial_Transcript-2-afternoon.pdf Transcript of May 1, 1995 hearing]</REF>

The next round of the NHRA championship tour was the [[Chief Auto Parts]] Nationals at the [[Texas Motorplex]] in [[Ennis, Texas]], where McVeigh posed as a motorcycle racer and attempted to purchase nitromethane on the pretext that he and some fellow bikers needed it for racing. However, there were no nitromethane-powered motorcycles at the meeting, and he did not have an [[National Hot Rod Association|NHRA]] competitors' license. LeSeuer again refused to sell McVeigh the fuel because he was suspicious of McVeigh's actions and attitudes, but VP Racing Fuels representative Tim Chambers sold McVeigh three barrels.<ref name="SisterFuel">{{cite news|last=Florio|first=Gwen|title=McVeigh's Sister Takes the Stand Against Him He Spoke of Moving From Antigovernment Talk to Action, She Testified, and of Transporting Explosives|work=[[The Philadelphia Inquirer]]|date=May 6, 1997}}</ref> Chambers questioned the purchase of three barrels, when typically only 1–5 gallons would be purchased by a Top Fuel Harley rider, and the class was not even raced that weekend.

McVeigh rented a storage space in which he stockpiled seven crates of {{convert|18|in|cm|adj=mid|-long}} Tovex "sausages", 80 spools of [[Shock tube detonator|shock tube]], and 500 electric [[blasting cap]]s, which he and Nichols had stolen from a Martin Marietta Aggregates quarry in [[Marion, Kansas]]. He decided not to steal any of the {{convert|40000|lb|kg}} of [[ANFO]] (ammonium nitrate/fuel oil) he found at the scene, as he did not believe it was powerful enough (he did obtain 17 bags of ANFO from another source for use in the bomb). McVeigh made a prototype bomb that was detonated in the desert to avoid detection.{{sfnp|Michel|Herbeck|2001|p=165}}

{{quote box|width=30em|bgcolor=#c6dbf|quote=Think about the people as if they were [[Stormtrooper (Star Wars)|storm troopers]] in ''[[Star Wars]]''. They may be individually innocent, but they are guilty because they work for the [[Galactic Empire (Star Wars)|Evil Empire]].|source=—McVeigh reflecting on the deaths of victims in the bombing{{sfnp|Michel|Herbeck|2001|p=166}}}}

Later, speaking about the military mindset with which he went about the preparations, he said, "You learn how to handle killing in the military. I face the consequences, but you learn to accept it." He compared his actions to the [[atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki]], rather than the [[attack on Pearl Harbor]], reasoning it was necessary to prevent more lives from being lost.{{sfnp|Michel|Herbeck|2001|p=166}}
[[File:Detailed map of Junction City, Kansas.png|thumb|A detailed map of [[Junction City, Kansas]] (city limits in dark yellow), the general location where McVeigh purchased the [[Ryder]] truck used for the bomb. [[Grandview Plaza, Kansas|Grandview Plaza]], the former location of the Dreamland Motel where McVeigh stayed in, is just to the east of Junction City along [[Interstate 70]] (pink).]]
On April 14, 1995, McVeigh paid for a motel room at the Dreamland Motel in [[Junction City, Kansas]].{{sfnp|Michel|Herbeck|2001|p=209}} The next day, he rented a 1993 [[Ford F-700]] truck from [[Ryder]] under the name Robert D. Kling, an alias he adopted because he knew an Army soldier named Kling with whom he shared physical characteristics, and because it reminded him of the [[Klingon]] warriors of ''[[Star Trek]]''.{{sfnp|Michel|Herbeck|2001|pp=199, 209}}<ref>{{cite news|first=Peter|last=Chronis|title=Key a 'stroke of genius'|url=http://extras.denverpost.com/bomb/bomb216.htm|work=[[The Denver Post]]|access-date=November 8, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130616073544/http://extras.denverpost.com/bomb/bomb216.htm|archive-date=June 16, 2013|url-status=live}}</ref> On April 16, 1995, he and Nichols drove to Oklahoma City, where he parked a getaway car, a yellow 1977 [[Mercury Marquis]], several blocks from the Murrah Federal Building.{{sfnp|Michel|Herbeck|2001|p=212}} The nearby Regency Towers Apartments' lobby security camera recorded images of Nichols's blue 1984 GMC pickup truck on April 16.<ref name="RTASecurityCamera">{{cite news|first=Diana|last=Baldwin|title=FBI Will Follow Up Bomb Case Forever|url=http://newsok.com/article/2636391|publisher=News OK|date=December 13, 1998|access-date=September 11, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170510090822/http://newsok.com/article/2636391|archive-date=May 10, 2017|url-status=live}}</ref> After removing the car's license plate, he left a note covering the [[Vehicle Identification Number]] (VIN) plate that read, "Not abandoned. Please do not tow. Will move by April 23. (Needs battery & cable)."<ref name="TimeWeight"/>{{sfnp|Michel|Herbeck|2001|pp=206–208}} Both men then returned to Kansas.

====Building the bomb====
[[File:Map of Kansas highlighting Geary County.svg|thumb|260x260px|[[Geary County, Kansas]] (in red), where Geary Lake is located. This is where McVeigh and Nichols constructed the bomb.]]
On April 17–18, 1995, McVeigh and Nichols removed the bomb supplies from their storage unit in [[Herington, Kansas]], where Nichols lived, and loaded them into the Ryder rental truck.{{sfnp|Michel|Herbeck|2001|p=215}} They then drove to Geary Lake State Park, where they nailed boards onto the floor of the truck to hold the 13&nbsp;barrels in place and mixed the chemicals using plastic buckets and a bathroom scale.{{sfnp|Michel|Herbeck|2001|p=216}} Each filled barrel weighed nearly {{convert|500|lb|kg}}.{{sfnp|Michel|Herbeck|2001|pp=217–218}} McVeigh added more explosives to the driver's side of the cargo bay, which he could ignite (killing himself in the process) at close range with his [[Glock 21]] pistol in case the primary fuses failed.{{sfnp|Michel|Herbeck|2001|p=219}} During McVeigh's trial, Lori Fortier stated that McVeigh claimed to have arranged the barrels in order to form a [[shaped charge]].<ref name="McVeighBomb33"/> This was achieved by [[wikt:tamp|tamping]] (placing material against explosives opposite the target of the explosion) the aluminum side panel of the truck with bags of ammonium nitrate fertilizer to direct the blast laterally towards the building.<ref name="web.mst.edu">{{cite web|title=Some Practical Applications of Forensic Seismology|last=Rogers|first=J. David|author2=Keith D. Koper|publisher=[[Missouri University of Science and Technology]]|url=http://web.mst.edu/~rogersda/umrcourses/ge342/Forensic%20Seismology-revised.pdf|pages=25–35|access-date=June 5, 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131029190716/http://web.mst.edu/~rogersda/umrcourses/ge342/Forensic%20Seismology-revised.pdf|archive-date=October 29, 2013|url-status=live}}</ref> Specifically, McVeigh arranged the barrels in the shape of a backwards J; he later said that for pure destructive power, he would have put the barrels on the side of the cargo bay closest to the Murrah Building; however, such an unevenly distributed {{convert|7000|lb|kg|adj=on}} load might have broken an axle, flipped the truck over, or at least caused it to lean to one side, which could have drawn attention.{{sfnp|Michel|Herbeck|2001|pp=217–218}} All or most of the barrels of [[ANNM]] contained metal cylinders of [[acetylene]] intended to increase the fireball and the [[brisance]] of the explosion.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://tech.mit.edu/V115/N21/mcveigh.21w.html|title=McVeigh Held in Conjunction with Oklahoma City Bombing|work=mit.edu|access-date=June 21, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150205001924/http://tech.mit.edu/V115/N21/mcveigh.21w.html|archive-date=February 5, 2015|url-status=live}}</ref>

McVeigh then added a dual-fuse ignition system accessible from the truck's front cab. He drilled two&nbsp;holes in the cab of the truck under the seat, while two&nbsp;holes were also drilled in the body of the truck. One&nbsp;green cannon fuse was run through each hole into the cab. These time-delayed fuses led from the cab through plastic fish-tank tubing conduit to two sets of non-electric blasting caps which would ignite around {{convert|350|lb|kg}} of the high-grade explosives that McVeigh stole from a rock quarry.{{sfnp|Michel|Herbeck|2001|pp=217–218}} The tubing was painted yellow to blend in with the truck's [[livery]], and duct-taped in place to the wall to make it harder to disable by yanking from the outside.{{sfnp|Michel|Herbeck|2001|pp=217–218}} The fuses were set up to initiate, through shock tubes, the {{convert|350|lb|kg}} of Tovex Blastrite Gel sausages, which would in turn set off the configuration of barrels. Of the 13&nbsp;filled barrels, nine contained ammonium nitrate and nitromethane, and four contained a mixture of the fertilizer and about {{convert|4|U.S.gal|impgal L}} of diesel fuel.{{sfnp|Michel|Herbeck|2001|pp=217–218}} Additional materials and tools used for manufacturing the bomb were left in the truck to be destroyed in the blast.{{sfnp|Michel|Herbeck|2001|pp=217–218}} After finishing the truck bomb, the two&nbsp;men separated; Nichols returned home to Herington and McVeigh traveled with the truck to Junction City. The bomb cost about {{US$|5000|1993|long=no|round=-3|about=yes}} to make.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://oklahoman.com/article/2580620/prosecutors-add-up-cost-of-bomb-5000 |title=Prosecutors Add up Cost of Bomb: $5,000 |date=May 12, 1997 |work=[[The Oklahoman]] |last1=Clay |first1=Nolan |last2=Owen |first2=Penny |location=[[Denver]] |access-date=2024-01-12 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220507173447/https://www.oklahoman.com/story/news/1997/05/12/prosecutors-add-up-cost-of-bomb-5000/62314685007/ |archive-date=2022-05-07}}</ref>