It’s been 30 years since one of the darkest days in Oklahoma and American history. >> Open the video player above to watch the remembrance ceremony live. On April 19, 1995, the bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in downtown Oklahoma City killed 168 people, including 19 children. On Saturday, Oklahomans will pause and gather to remember the victims lost, the survivors and the lives changed forever. The remembrance ceremony begins at 8:30 a.m. inside the First Church, which played a significant role in the days and months after the bombing. “The most peculiar thing from the bombing was the sanctuary served as a safe haven where those first responders who found people who had died. They needed a place to bring the bodies,” said Josue Araujo, pastor of First Church Oklahoma City.Hundreds of people are expected to attend the remembrance ceremony. Doors open at 7:30 a.m. Saturday, and seating is first come, first served. Video Below: From the Archives: Looking back at chaos and raw emotion, fear following Oklahoma City bombing. Click here to learn more.Some of the people expected to speak at the ceremony include former President Bill Clinton, former Gov. Frank Keating and Sen. James Lankford.After the ceremony, the Oklahoma Fire Pipes and Drums will lead attendees out to the field of empty chairs at the Oklahoma City National Memorial and Museum for family, friends and the community to pay respects. What happened Wednesday, April 19, 1995, is the day that changed our state and the nation forever. It started like any other day, with people getting coffees and dropping their children off at daycare before going to work. At 9:02 a.m., the metro was shaken by an explosion in downtown Oklahoma City. Within minutes, the area near the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building near Northwest Fifth Street and Harvey Avenue looked like a war zone. Numerous state, local and federal agencies responded to the scene and determined that the explosion was caused by a bomb. A third of the federal building was destroyed, and more than 300 nearby buildings had some kind of damage. Video Below: Oklahoma City church leader reflects on impact of Murrah Federal Building bombing. Click here to learn more.The search for any survivors and victims quickly began inside the fragile building. Shortly into the search, authorities had to evacuate the area after what was believed to be a second bomb was discovered inside the Murrah building. That device, however, was later determined not to be a bomb. During their investigation, authorities determined that a powerful bomb comprised of agriculture fertilizer, diesel fuel and other chemicals was placed inside a Ryder truck that was left parked directly outside the Murrah Building. They learned a man, later identified as Timothy McVeigh, parked the truck there, got out, locked the door and ignited timed fuses before driving away in a getaway vehicle. Traffic stop leads to arrest Around 10:20 a.m. on April 19, 1995, an Oklahoma Highway Patrol trooper pulled over a yellow Mercury Marquis on Interstate 35 near Perry for not having license plates. During the traffic stop, the driver, Timothy McVeigh, admitted to having a handgun that he was carrying without a permit. The trooper arrested McVeigh and booked him into the Noble County Jail. While McVeigh was being held in jail, investigators found the rear axle of the Ryder truck containing the bomb. The axle had a vehicle identification number that was traced to a body shop in Junction City, Kansas. Video Below: Former Midwest City police chief describes duty following Oklahoma City bombing. Click here to learn more. After talking to employees at the body shop, the FBI put together a composite drawing of the man who rented the van. Local hotel employees then provided a name: Tim McVeigh. On April 21, the FBI learned that McVeigh was being held at the Noble County Jail. Agents found traces of chemicals used in the explosion on McVeigh’s clothes and a business card on which he wrote, “TNT @ $5/stick, need more.” Investigators learned that McVeigh had extreme ideologies against the federal government following the events during the 1992 Ruby Ridge standoff in Idaho and the Waco siege at the Branch Davidian compound in 1993. They also learned that a friend, Terry Nichols, helped build the bomb and that another man, Michael Fortier, was aware of the plot. The events of the bombing have been showcased in various documentaries, including one that’s set to premiere on Netflix. The victims The bombing of the Murrah Building took the lives of 168 men, women and children, and left hundreds of others injured. Scroll through the interactive graphic below to learn more about the victims. W2lmcmFtZSBzcmM9Imh0dHBzOi8vaGVhcnN0dGVsZXZpc2lvbmRhdGFqb3VybmFsaXNtLmh0dmFwcHMuY29tL29rbGFob21hX21lbW9yaWFsL2luZGV4Lmh0bWwiIHNjcm9sbGluZz0ieWVzIiBmcmFtZWJvcmRlcj0iMCIgc3R5bGU9IndpZHRoOiAwOyBtaW4td2lkdGg6IDEwMCUgIWltcG9ydGFudDsgYm9yZGVyOiBub25lOyIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxMDAwcHgiXVsvaWZyYW1lXQ==The trial, conviction and execution of Timothy McVeighLess than four months after the bombing, Timothy McVeigh was charged with four federal counts, including conspiracy to use a weapon of mass destruction, use of a weapon of mass destruction, destruction with the use of explosives and eight counts of first-degree murder for the deaths of federal law enforcement officers. Murder charges were not brought against McVeigh for all of the people killed on April 19, 1995, just the eight federal agents. Then-Oklahoma County District Attorney Bob Macy said he was going to file the other 160 murder charges after Terry Nichols’ trial. Video Below: Former and current KOCO 5 journalists remember federal trial of Timothy McVeigh. Click here to learn more. On Feb. 20, 1996, a judge granted a change of venue request out of Oklahoma City and to the District Court in Denver. Michael Fortier testified that McVeigh and Nichols expressed anti-government feelings and conspired to blow up the Murrah Building. McVeigh was found guilty on all 11 federal charges on June 2, 1997, and the jury recommended the death penalty 11 days later. McVeigh was held at the United States Penitentiary Florence Administrative Maximum Facility in Colorado until his transfer in 1999 to a federal death row facility in Indiana. After a couple of delays, McVeigh was executed by lethal injection on June 11, 2001. Terry Nichols trial and conviction While Terry Nichols did not detonate the bomb, he was the one who helped Timothy McVeigh build the bomb that killed 168 people and left the Murrah Building in rubble. He was sentenced to life for conspiracy and involuntary manslaughter for the deaths of eight federal agents killed in the bombing during a trial in Denver. Because he wasn’t sentenced to death, Nichols was sent back to Oklahoma to be held accountable for the remaining 160 victims. Video Below: Man who lost mother in OKC bombing measures life before and after tragedy. Click here to learn more.Prosecutors argued that Nichols worked with McVeigh to gather materials and build the bomb. Witnesses, including Michael Fortier, testified that Nichols bought the fertilizer and stole detonation cord, blasting caps and other materials. FBI agents also found a receipt for 2,000 pounds of fertilizer in Nichols’ home. Following a two-month trial in Oklahoma, a jury found Nichols guilty on all charges and sentenced to 161 consecutive life terms without the possibility of parole. He is being held in the United States Penitentiary Florence Administrative Maximum Facility in Colorado in what’s been referred to as “bomber’s row,” which also housed Ted Kaczynski, Luis Felipe and Ramzi Yousef. Michael Fortier The federal government agreed to a plea bargain with Michael Fortier in exchange for his testimony in the trials of Timothy McVeigh and Terry Nichols. Fortier and his wife, Lori, watched as McVeigh used soup cans to show how he planned to blow up the Murrah Building. Michael Fortier served less than 11 years in prison before he, his wife and their children entered the federal Witness Protection Program. The Southern Poverty Law Center says Michael Fortier knew of the plot nine months before the bomb exploded, and he helped case the federal building with McVeigh. Lori Fortier was never prosecuted for her role in the bombing, thanks to a provision of her husband’s plea deal. 30 years of resilience Saturday, April 19, 2025, will mark 30 years since the tragedy that forever changed Oklahoma. While the lives lost will never be forgotten, the state and city responded with resilience that continues to be a benchmark to the country and world. The site where the Murrah Building once stood has since been turned into the Oklahoma City National Memorial and Museum, highlighted by 168 chairs that sit empty overlooking a reflecting pool. Each chair represents and bears the names of each of the victims killed in 1995. The memorial also features twin gates denoting the times 9:01, marking a time of innocence, and 9:02 for moving forward following the bombing. Video Below: If This Fence Could Talk: Fencing around OKC bombing site continues to honor victims 30 years later. Click here to learn more.Every year, survivors, family members and those whose lives were changed forever gather for a remembrance ceremony at or near the Oklahoma City National Memorial and Museum. The nationally acclaimed museum tells the story of the tragic day while remembering those who were killed, those who survived and those whose lives were changed forever. The outdoor memorial was dedicated on April 19, 2000, and the memorial museum was dedicated in February 2001. Each year since 2001, thousands of people have also been descending to Oklahoma City for the Memorial Marathon.

OKLAHOMA CITY —It’s been 30 years since one of the darkest days in Oklahoma and American history.

>> Open the video player above to watch the remembrance ceremony live.

On April 19, 1995, the bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in downtown Oklahoma City killed 168 people, including 19 children.

On Saturday, Oklahomans will pause and gather to remember the victims lost, the survivors and the lives changed forever. The remembrance ceremony begins at 8:30 a.m. inside the First Church, which played a significant role in the days and months after the bombing.

“The most peculiar thing from the bombing was the sanctuary served as a safe haven where those first responders who found people who had died. They needed a place to bring the bodies,” said Josue Araujo, pastor of First Church Oklahoma City.

Hundreds of people are expected to attend the remembrance ceremony. Doors open at 7:30 a.m. Saturday, and seating is first come, first served.

Video Below: From the Archives: Looking back at chaos and raw emotion, fear following Oklahoma City bombing. Click here to learn more.

Some of the people expected to speak at the ceremony include former President Bill Clinton, former Gov. Frank Keating and Sen. James Lankford.

After the ceremony, the Oklahoma Fire Pipes and Drums will lead attendees out to the field of empty chairs at the Oklahoma City National Memorial and Museum for family, friends and the community to pay respects.

What happened

Wednesday, April 19, 1995, is the day that changed our state and the nation forever. It started like any other day, with people getting coffees and dropping their children off at daycare before going to work.

At 9:02 a.m., the metro was shaken by an explosion in downtown Oklahoma City. Within minutes, the area near the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building near Northwest Fifth Street and Harvey Avenue looked like a war zone.

Numerous state, local and federal agencies responded to the scene and determined that the explosion was caused by a bomb. A third of the federal building was destroyed, and more than 300 nearby buildings had some kind of damage.

Video Below: Oklahoma City church leader reflects on impact of Murrah Federal Building bombing. Click here to learn more.

The search for any survivors and victims quickly began inside the fragile building. Shortly into the search, authorities had to evacuate the area after what was believed to be a second bomb was discovered inside the Murrah building. That device, however, was later determined not to be a bomb.

During their investigation, authorities determined that a powerful bomb comprised of agriculture fertilizer, diesel fuel and other chemicals was placed inside a Ryder truck that was left parked directly outside the Murrah Building. They learned a man, later identified as Timothy McVeigh, parked the truck there, got out, locked the door and ignited timed fuses before driving away in a getaway vehicle.

Traffic stop leads to arrest

Around 10:20 a.m. on April 19, 1995, an Oklahoma Highway Patrol trooper pulled over a yellow Mercury Marquis on Interstate 35 near Perry for not having license plates. During the traffic stop, the driver, Timothy McVeigh, admitted to having a handgun that he was carrying without a permit.

The trooper arrested McVeigh and booked him into the Noble County Jail.

While McVeigh was being held in jail, investigators found the rear axle of the Ryder truck containing the bomb. The axle had a vehicle identification number that was traced to a body shop in Junction City, Kansas.

Video Below: Former Midwest City police chief describes duty following Oklahoma City bombing. Click here to learn more.

After talking to employees at the body shop, the FBI put together a composite drawing of the man who rented the van. Local hotel employees then provided a name: Tim McVeigh.

On April 21, the FBI learned that McVeigh was being held at the Noble County Jail. Agents found traces of chemicals used in the explosion on McVeigh’s clothes and a business card on which he wrote, “TNT @ $5/stick, need more.”

Investigators learned that McVeigh had extreme ideologies against the federal government following the events during the 1992 Ruby Ridge standoff in Idaho and the Waco siege at the Branch Davidian compound in 1993. They also learned that a friend, Terry Nichols, helped build the bomb and that another man, Michael Fortier, was aware of the plot.

The events of the bombing have been showcased in various documentaries, including one that’s set to premiere on Netflix.

The victims

The bombing of the Murrah Building took the lives of 168 men, women and children, and left hundreds of others injured.

Scroll through the interactive graphic below to learn more about the victims.

The trial, conviction and execution of Timothy McVeigh

Less than four months after the bombing, Timothy McVeigh was charged with four federal counts, including conspiracy to use a weapon of mass destruction, use of a weapon of mass destruction, destruction with the use of explosives and eight counts of first-degree murder for the deaths of federal law enforcement officers.

Murder charges were not brought against McVeigh for all of the people killed on April 19, 1995, just the eight federal agents. Then-Oklahoma County District Attorney Bob Macy said he was going to file the other 160 murder charges after Terry Nichols’ trial.

Video Below: Former and current KOCO 5 journalists remember federal trial of Timothy McVeigh. Click here to learn more.

On Feb. 20, 1996, a judge granted a change of venue request out of Oklahoma City and to the District Court in Denver. Michael Fortier testified that McVeigh and Nichols expressed anti-government feelings and conspired to blow up the Murrah Building.

McVeigh was found guilty on all 11 federal charges on June 2, 1997, and the jury recommended the death penalty 11 days later.

McVeigh was held at the United States Penitentiary Florence Administrative Maximum Facility in Colorado until his transfer in 1999 to a federal death row facility in Indiana. After a couple of delays, McVeigh was executed by lethal injection on June 11, 2001.

Terry Nichols trial and conviction

While Terry Nichols did not detonate the bomb, he was the one who helped Timothy McVeigh build the bomb that killed 168 people and left the Murrah Building in rubble.

He was sentenced to life for conspiracy and involuntary manslaughter for the deaths of eight federal agents killed in the bombing during a trial in Denver. Because he wasn’t sentenced to death, Nichols was sent back to Oklahoma to be held accountable for the remaining 160 victims.

Video Below: Man who lost mother in OKC bombing measures life before and after tragedy. Click here to learn more.

Prosecutors argued that Nichols worked with McVeigh to gather materials and build the bomb. Witnesses, including Michael Fortier, testified that Nichols bought the fertilizer and stole detonation cord, blasting caps and other materials.

FBI agents also found a receipt for 2,000 pounds of fertilizer in Nichols’ home.

Following a two-month trial in Oklahoma, a jury found Nichols guilty on all charges and sentenced to 161 consecutive life terms without the possibility of parole. He is being held in the United States Penitentiary Florence Administrative Maximum Facility in Colorado in what’s been referred to as “bomber’s row,” which also housed Ted Kaczynski, Luis Felipe and Ramzi Yousef.

Michael Fortier

The federal government agreed to a plea bargain with Michael Fortier in exchange for his testimony in the trials of Timothy McVeigh and Terry Nichols. Fortier and his wife, Lori, watched as McVeigh used soup cans to show how he planned to blow up the Murrah Building.

Michael Fortier served less than 11 years in prison before he, his wife and their children entered the federal Witness Protection Program. The Southern Poverty Law Center says Michael Fortier knew of the plot nine months before the bomb exploded, and he helped case the federal building with McVeigh.

Lori Fortier was never prosecuted for her role in the bombing, thanks to a provision of her husband’s plea deal.

30 years of resilience

Saturday, April 19, 2025, will mark 30 years since the tragedy that forever changed Oklahoma. While the lives lost will never be forgotten, the state and city responded with resilience that continues to be a benchmark to the country and world.

The site where the Murrah Building once stood has since been turned into the Oklahoma City National Memorial and Museum, highlighted by 168 chairs that sit empty overlooking a reflecting pool. Each chair represents and bears the names of each of the victims killed in 1995.

The memorial also features twin gates denoting the times 9:01, marking a time of innocence, and 9:02 for moving forward following the bombing.

Video Below: If This Fence Could Talk: Fencing around OKC bombing site continues to honor victims 30 years later. Click here to learn more.

Every year, survivors, family members and those whose lives were changed forever gather for a remembrance ceremony at or near the Oklahoma City National Memorial and Museum.

The nationally acclaimed museum tells the story of the tragic day while remembering those who were killed, those who survived and those whose lives were changed forever. The outdoor memorial was dedicated on April 19, 2000, and the memorial museum was dedicated in February 2001.

Each year since 2001, thousands of people have also been descending to Oklahoma City for the Memorial Marathon.