Timothy McVeigh is executed for his role in the Oklahoma City bombing.

Timothy McVeigh was a Gulf War veteran who became infamous for orchestrating the deadliest act of domestic terrorism in U.S. history prior to 9/11—the Oklahoma City bombing. Disillusioned with the federal government, McVeigh harbored deep resentment following events like the 1992 Ruby Ridge standoff and the 1993 Waco siege, which he viewed as brutal government overreach. These incidents radicalized him and led him to embrace anti-government ideologies, particularly those associated with the militia movement. Fueled by a desire for revenge, McVeigh targeted the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City, which he saw as a symbol of federal power.

On April 19, 1995—coinciding with the second anniversary of the Waco siege’s end—McVeigh parked a Ryder truck filled with an ammonium nitrate-fuel oil bomb outside the Murrah building. At 9:02 AM, the bomb exploded, killing 168 people, including 19 children, and injuring hundreds more. The blast destroyed much of the building and caused significant damage to surrounding structures. McVeigh was arrested shortly after the attack for driving without a license plate and possessing an illegal firearm. Eventually, he was tried, convicted on 11 federal counts, and executed by lethal injection in 2001. The bombing shocked the nation, intensified domestic counterterrorism efforts, and highlighted the growing threat of homegrown extremism.