Oklahoma City bombing victims and survivors were given tribute during its 19th year of commemoration on Saturday.
One of the tragic events in the history of Oklahoma occurred 19 years ago wherein many people were killed and millions of damage was recorded. The domestic attack on April 19, 1995 destroyed the Murrah Federal building downtown killing 168 individuals and injuring 680 others. Oklahoma City bombing victims involved people coming from different age groups as the blast was extremely deadly.
The ceremony held on Saturday took place in the bombing site which is now a memorial park and a museum. Tribute was paid to the victims, families and spirits of the people of Oklahoma City. A moment of silence lasting for 168 seconds, a second for each Oklahoma City bombing victims were offered.
"We worked together, we comforted each other, we rebuilt. And today we are a more prosperous city and a stronger state. We recovered from this terrible tragedy, but we have not forgotten," said Gov. Mary Fallin on Saturday.
The tragic incident 19 years ago terribly affected Oklahoma as the damages were recorded to reach up to $650 million plus the loss of lives. The explosion occurred when a Ryder rental truck in front of the building which was full of explosives was detonated. Responsible individuals for the domestic terrorist attack were held in custody about 90 minutes after the blast.
Timothy McVeigh, the one responsible for detonating the explosives was then apprehended by the Oklahoma State trooper for driving without a license plate and for unlawfully carrying a weapon. As the investigation went on, forensic evidence immediately linked McVeigh and Terri Nichols to the attack. Accomplices, Michael and Lori Fortier were also put into custody.
In 1997, suspects were trialed and convicted. The results of the trial were quite positive for the families of the Oklahoma City bombing victims. McVeigh was executed by lethal injection in 2001 while Nichols was sentenced to life imprisonment. The Fortier couple testified against McVeigh and Nichols in court which granted Lori Fortier immunity while her husband was sentenced to serve 12 years in prison due to failure in warning the U.S. government.
The Oklahoma City bombing victims might be gone but their memories will never be forgotten by their respective families the same with the tragic bombing incident.
This article is copyrighted by Travelers Today, the travel news leader
