HBO released the trailer for “An American Bombing: The Road to April 19th” Tuesday, which tells the story of the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing.
On April 19th, 1995, a homemade explosive device detonated at the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. The bomb was made of two tons of ammonium nitrate fertilizer and fuel oil. More than 500 people were injured, 169 killed, including 11 children. In their documentary, HBO seems to be digging into what they think led to the bombing and what inspired those who did it: Timothy McVeigh and Terry Nichols.
Former President Bill Clinton appears as one of the featured “talking heads” in the series. He claims his “life and experience” told him the bombing was a “homegrown plot.” He also adds that he believes McVeigh is a “tragic example of a man who thought our differences were more important than what we have in common.”
April 19th was a significant date, being both Patriot’s Day and the anniversary of the Waco siege conclusion in Texas. Nearly 80 people were killed throughout the siege, including 76 members of the Branch Davidians, including 25 children. (RELATED: Adam Schiff Implies That An Oklahoma City-Style Bombing Could Happen Because Of FISA Memo)
The threads that pull the historical narrative together around the horrific act of terrorism seem to be weaved throughout HBO’s documentary. But the description says the filmmakers explore “the surge in anti-government ideals and political violence in the 1980s, leading to the Oklahoma City bombing and continuing today.”
It’ll be interesting to see what HBO means by “continuing today.” The documentary drops on April 16th.