The Murrah Building Explosion News Summary

IM LEHRER: There was a bombing at a federal building in downtown Oklahoma City today. Much of the nine-story office building was destroyed. Twenty people have been confirmed dead, including seventeen children. At least 200 people were injured. Scores are missing.

The building housed offices of the Social Security Administration, the Secret Service, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, & Firearms, among other federal agencies. It also contained a day care center. Officials said the bomb detonated in a car outside the building. They said they were looking at the possibility of a terrorist attack. No one has claimed responsibility. President Clinton spoke this afternoon at the White House.

President Clinton responds
PRESIDENT CLINTON: The bombing in Oklahoma City was an attack on innocent children and defenseless citizens. It was an act of cowardice, and it was evil. The United States will not tolerate it. And I will not allow the people of this country to be intimidated by evil cowards. I have met with our team which we assembled to deal with this bombing, and I have determined to take the following steps to assure the strongest response to this situation.
First, I have deployed a crisis management under the leadership of the FBI, working with the Department of Justice, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, & Firearms, military and local authorities. We are sending the world’s finest investigators to solve these murders.

Second, I have declared an emergency in Oklahoma City. And at my direction, James Lee Whit, the director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, is now on his way there to make sure we do everything we can to help the people of Oklahoma deal with the tragedy.

Third, we are taking every precaution to reassure and to protect people who work in or live near other federal facilities. Let there be no room for doubt. We will find the people who did this. When we do, justice will be swift, certain, and severe. These people are killers, and they must be treated like killers. Finally, let me say that I ask all Americans tonight to pray, to pray for the people who have lost their lives, to pray for the families and the friends of the dead and the wounded, to pray for the people of Oklahoma City. May God’s grace be with them. Meanwhile, we will be about our work. Thank you.

JIM LEHRER: A federal office building in Boston was evacuated one hour after the Oklahoma City explosion. Internal Revenue Service workers had reported their offices appeared to have been tampered with. Federal buildings in Fort Worth, Texas; Wilmington, Delaware; and other cities were also evacuated as a precaution. There was heightened security at the Capitol Building in Washington and at other government facilities around the country.