On April 19 , 1995 , in the Oklahoma City bombing , Gulf War veteran Timothy McVeigh bombed the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building , killing 168 people , including 19 children . Timothy McVeigh and Terry Nichols were the convicted perpetrators of the attack , although many believe others were involved . Timothy McVeigh was later sentenced to death by lethal injection , while his partner , Terry Nichols , who was convicted of 161 counts of first degree murder received life in prison without the possibility of parole . It is said that McVeigh stayed at the El Siesta motel , a small town motel on US 64 in Vian , Oklahoma
Oklahoma City bombing
Oklahoma City bombing
History of Oklahoma