Statement from Attorney General Merrick B. Garland on the 27th Anniversary of the Oklahoma City Bombing

F.P. Report

OKLAHOMA: Attorney General Merrick B. Garland issued the following statement today, commemorating the 27th anniversary of the Oklahoma City Bombing, which took place April 19, 1995, in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma:

“Every year on this day, we remember those who were killed when a domestic terrorist bombed the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City, taking the lives of 168 people, including 19 children, and seriously injuring hundreds of others.

“And every year on this day, we commemorate the strength of the Oklahoma City community that came together in the face of that loss.

“The Justice Department apprehended, prosecuted, and convicted the men responsible for the bombing of the Murrah Federal Building. As we did, we never forgot the victims, in whose memories we worked.

“Twenty-seven years later, the Justice Department remains vigilant in the face of the threat of domestic terrorism. We believe that the time to address threats of violence is before the violence occurs, so we are putting our resources into disrupting terrorist plots. We also remain committed to holding accountable those who perpetrate such attacks, which are aimed at rending the fabric of our democratic society and driving us apart.

“Today, as we remember Oklahoma City, we must stand together against the kind of hatred that leads to tragedies like that one. Today, we are also reminded of the grace and resilience demonstrated by the Oklahoma City community, which refused to allow hate and division to win.”