Oklahoma City Bombing: American Terror revisits the worst domestic terrorist attack in US history nearly three decades on, with the Netflix documentary exploring the impact of Timothy McVeigh and his accomplices’ actions.
Although it is often overshadowed by the events of 9/11, the Oklahoma City bombing was a seismic moment in American history, one that reshaped domestic counterterrorism and exposed the threat of US extremism.
On April 19, 1995, McVeigh unleashed a bomb made out of a agricultural fertilizer, diesel fuel, and other chemicals on the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City. It detonated at 9.02am, killing 167 people, including 19 children, and injuring a further 684.
The new documentary details the tragedy and its aftermath, speaking with survivors, first responders, and law enforcement, while also featuring chilling audio-recorded interviews with McVeigh. Warning: some may find this content distressing.
What happened to Timothy McVeigh?
McVeigh was executed by lethal injection on June 11, 2001, at age 33. It didn’t take long for the authorities to track him down, after which he was indicted on dozens of charges, including unlawful use of weapons of mass destruction and first-degree murder.
In 1997, two years after the bombing, a jury found him guilty of all counts, and he was sentenced to death. As stated in the Netflix documentary, “Hundreds of family members and friends of bombing victims watched McVeigh’s execution on closed-circuit television.”
Prior to his sentencing, McVeigh expressed zero remorse for what he had done, telling those who had lost loved ones in the bombing to “get over it.”
For his last meal, he chose two pints of mint chocolate chip ice cream. According to the Guardian, he chose not to say any final words, and instead gave a handwritten copy of William Ernest Henley’s poem ‘Invictus’ to the prison warden just before his death.
The final line of it reads, “I am the master of my fate, I am the captain of my soul.”
Why did he do it?
NetflixMcVeigh essentially acted out of anger, having become radicalized while serving in the military in the Gulf War. After leaving the US Army in 1991, he struggled to find a direction and went deeper into anti-government conspiracy theories.
In Oklahoma City Bombing: American Terror, Lee Hancock, Dallas Morning News reporter, explains, “From a really young age, he was fascinated with guns,” fitting into the macho, military persona he attempted to portray.
After serving in the army, he wandered across America, exploring what he described as “issues of fundamental rights, especially gun rights and property rights.”
Hancock adds, “As McVeigh was roaming the country, going from gun show to gun show, he was listening constantly to these right-wing radio hosts that were peddling conspiracy theories and spewing this anti-government rhetoric.”
This all fed into a growing paranoia about federal overreach, particularly around gun rights. His anger was intensified by high-profile standoffs like Ruby Ridge in 1992 and the Waco siege in 1993, both of which he saw as proof that the government was waging war on its own citizens.
McVeigh’s worldview was further shaped by The Turner Diaries, a neo-Nazi and violently anti-government novel often described as a “Bible” for far-right extremists. It was written by William Luther Pierce, the founder and chairman of National Alliance, an American white nationalist group.
In it, a revolution is sparked by a terrorist bombing of a federal building – something McVeigh would later recreate in horrifying reality. Believing he was acting for the greater good, he saw the bombing as a necessary wake-up call for Americans to resist the government and defend their rights.
In interviews featured in the Netflix documentary, McVeigh is chillingly matter-of-fact as he describes his reasoning. He viewed the Oklahoma City bombing as a declaration of war, intended to spark a larger revolution. In reality, he had committed one of the worst crimes in US history, based on lies.
Did he act alone?
NetflixTerry Nichols was also arrested
While Timothy McVeigh was the central figure behind the Oklahoma City bombing, he did not act alone. Two key individuals – Terry Nichols and Michael Fortier – were involved in various stages of planning and preparation.
McVeigh first met Nichols while they were both serving in the US Army. The pair bonded over shared anti-government views and kept in contact after leaving the military.
Nichols would go on to help McVeigh acquire and store materials for the bomb, including the ammonium nitrate fertilizer that served as its base. He was also involved in the theft of explosives and other supplies that supported their deadly plan.
NetflixMichael Fortier entered a plea deal but still served time
Although Nichols wasn’t present in Oklahoma City on the day of the attack, he was deeply implicated in the conspiracy. He was eventually convicted of 161 counts of murder in the state of Oklahoma.
As stated in Oklahoma City Bombing: American Terror, “He is serving life without parole plus 161 consecutive life sentences at the Federal Supermax Prison in Florence, Colorado.”
Fortier, another army acquaintance, also played a supporting role. While he did not assist in building the bomb, he was aware of the plot ahead of time and could have put a stop to it.
In exchange for testifying against McVeigh and Nichols, Fortier accepted a plea deal and was sentenced to 12 years in prison. He was released in 2006 and entered the Federal Witness Protection Program, along with his wife.
Oklahoma City Bombing: American Terror is streaming on Netflix now. You can also read about what happened to Ray Betson, whether Cynthia and Antwon Mans went to jail, and how to watch Husband, Father, Killer.
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