While the OKC bombing took place 29 years ago, some of the events that led to the bombing started much earlier.
In 1894, Cyrus Teed, a physician, alchemist, and self proclaimed Lamb of God, founded a commune in Florida. He changed his name to David Koresh and preached that he would break the Seven Seals described in Revelation, preceding the second coming of Christ. Teed amassed hundreds of followers and called his teachings Koreshanity.
In 1935, Victor Houteff, a Seventh-day Adventist, published his criticisms of the church and ended up breaking away to form a group called the Davidians. Following his death in 1955, one of his followers, Benjamin Roden, became the leader of the group. The group moved to Elk, Texas, 13 miles northeast of Waco and became known as the Branch Davidians Seventh-Day Adventists.
In 1978, William Luther Pierce, a right wing extremist, published a book titled The Turner Diaries. The book tells of a revolution in the US, including the bombing of a US federal building. The book gained popularity in many extremist groups. Later on, a young Timothy McVeigh came across the book and read it multiple times. He ordered more copies for his friends.
In 1981, Vernon Howell, a devout Christian, moved into the compound in Elk, Texas, now called the New Mount Carmel Center, to join the Branch Davidians. He studied under Lois Roden, the lead prophetess. His knowledge in the Bible grew and so did his popularity in the group. He succeeded Lois as the leader of the Branch Davidians.
In 1990, Howell changed his name to David Koresh. He started prophesying that he was the Lamb of God and would break the Seven Seals. Cyrus Teed’s story now intersects with Howell’s. The odds that two people change their name and proclaim the same apocalyptic message are too great. There is little doubt that Vernon Howell’s beliefs came from Cyrus Teed’s teachings. There was a book in the Waco public library titled Koreshanity: The New Age Religion published by Teed’s followers. The assumption being Howell came across this book and adopted Teed’s teachings as his own. (See book Waco by Jeff Guinn)
The 1990 Koresh, Vernon Howell, prophesied that there would be a great fight with Babylon. Koresh took this to mean that there would be a fight with the US government, the modern-day Babylon. The name Koresh, fittingly a Hebrew adaptation of Cyrus, is derived from King Cyrus of the Bible. This is the same King who delivered the Jews from Babylonian captivity. Koresh would be the leader that fought the battle against Babylon.
On August 21, 1992, in Ruby Ridge, Idaho, US Marshals went to arrest Randall Weaver after his failure to appear in court. The arrest escalated when the Marshals shot Weaver’s dog, resulting in Weaver’s son firing back at the Marshals, being shot in the process. An FBI sniper later shot Weaver’s friend, and the same bullet also killed Weaver’s wife. Weaver himself was shot, but not fatally. Weaver surrendered 10 days after the initial arrest attempt, an event that ended with him surviving but with the deaths of his son and wife, as well as a US Marshal. This event became a rallying cry against the government in many extremist groups.
The Babylonian battle that David Koresh prophesied finally came in 1993. On February 28, ATF agents came to confiscate illegal firearms reported in the compound at New Mount Carmel Center. The raid was a disaster from the get-go. The Davidians were tipped off about the raid and had ample time to prepare. The raid quickly turned into a firefight that killed four ATF officers and a few Branch Davidians. The shooting stopped intermittently and a siege began that lasted 51 days.
In March 1993, Timothy McVeigh, became enraged with the news of the siege. He traveled to Waco to see the situation for himself. He viewed this as a repeat of the Ruby Ridge incident where the government was killing innocent people. This didn’t sit well with McVeigh. Perched on a hill 3 miles away, McVeigh sold bumper stickers promoting gun rights and anti-government values while watching the compound off in the distance.
On April 19, 1993, the siege came to an end. The FBI attempted to infiltrate the compound, initiating the operation with tear gas. The compound quickly caught fire. 76 of the 85 Branch Davidians were unable to escape and died inside the compound. Babylon had won, and in the eyes of many, the government’s hands were not clean.
On April 19, 1995, Timothy McVeigh parked his rented Ryder truck loaded with barrels full of ammonium nitrate at the entrance of the Alfred P. Murrah Building. McVeigh later revealed that he manufactured the bomb following the instructions in the book The Turner Diaries. McVeigh lit the fuse and walked away to his untagged vehicle, which led to his arrest 90 minutes later. The bomb went off at 9:02 am, killing 168 people. The building’s daycare, stationed right above the bomb, was gone. Six of the 21 children survived. 219 children instantly lost a parent. Individuals lost family members, friends, and loved ones.
McVeigh hoped that this mass killing would spark a revolution, similar to the story described in The Turner Diaries. McVeigh showed no signs of guilt for his actions. He justified the bombing as retaliation against government actions, specifically citing the siege at Waco. In a letter telling why he bombed the building, he described it as the only “acceptable option.” In McVeigh’s head, the government had set the rules of engagement. It was only logical to follow suit. Fueled by hatred towards the government and inspired by ideas from extremists, McVeigh took action.
But McVeigh was wrong. No revolution came from the bombing. The bombing brought Oklahoma City together. Each year, thousands gather in honor of those who were lost. At the site of the Alfred P. Murrah Building, you can now sit in time. The two memorial entrances are engraved with the times 9:01 and 9:03. At 9:02, innocence was stripped from the city and lives were taken, but at 9:03, healing began. Oklahoma is a city that moves on in spite of brokenness. Those who were lost will be remembered. Oklahoma City is stronger than the evil that took place on April 19th.
McVeigh’s story ends with the electric chair on June 11, 2001. He ate two pints of mint chocolate chip ice cream, his last requested meal. His last written statement quoted the poem Invictus by William Ernest Henley:
“It matters not how strait the gate, How charged with punishments the scroll, I am the master of my fate, I am the captain of my soul.”
To his death, he showed no remorse.
Sources: Stalling for Time My Life as an FBI Hostage Negotiator by Gary Noesner Waco by Jeff Guinn Homegrown: Timothy McVeigh and the Rise of Right-Wing Extremism by Jeffrey Toobin