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WEEKLY NEWS 1: Tenth Anniversary of Oklahoma City Bombing

Ten years ago this week, 168 people were killed when a bomb-packed truck smashed into a federal building in Oklahoma City, OK. On Tuesday, April 19, 2005, 1,600 people gathered at the site to remember those who were lost. At 9:02AM local time--the exact time of the bombing--the audience observed a moment of silence for each victim, totaling 168 seconds.

The crowd of mourners included survivors of the bombing and family members of the victims. They were joined by Vice President Cheney and former President Clinton, who was in office at the time of the bombing. In a show of support, forty survivors of the 9/11 attacks were also present. The Oklahoma City bombing was considered the deadliest terrorist attack on American soil until the 9/11 attacks occurred six years later.

The Oklahoma City National Memorial is built upon the site of the bombing. Its centerpiece, “Field of Empty Chairs,” features 168 chairs made of bronze and glass. Nineteen smaller chairs represent the 19 children who perished. At the time of the bombing the building housed a daycare center, and several children had just been dropped off when the blast occurred.

The man responsible for the bombing and great loss of life, Timothy McVeigh, was executed in 2001. His co-conspirator, Terry Nichols, is serving a life sentence in prison.

--Written by Patricia Daniels

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