2005 University of Oklahoma bombing

The 2005 University of Oklahoma bombing occurred on October 1, 2005 at approximately 7:30 p.m. CDT, when a bomb went off near the George Lynn Cross Hall on Van Vleet Oval on the University of Oklahoma (OU) main campus. The blast took place less than 200 yards west of Oklahoma Memorial Stadium, where 84,501 spectators were attending a football game. [cite web | title=2005 Football Season | publisher=SoonerStats.com | url=http://soonerstats.com/football/seasons/schedule.cfm?SeasonID=2005 | accessdate=2007-08-26] The bomber, OU student Joel "Joe" Henry Hinrichs III, was killed in the explosion; no one else was killed.cite news|url=http://www.nytimes.com/2005/10/02/national/02blast.html|title=Explosion Kills One At Oklahoma Campus|date=2005-10-02|work =The New York Times |publisher=Associated Press |accessdate=2007-08-27]

After the incident, speculation began immediately about Hinrichs' motivation and the number of accomplices, if any. An off-duty police officer noted a discussion Hinrichs had with a local feed store owner about ammonium nitrate and had begun an investigation,, one heightened by innuendo regarding the Pakistani heritage of the bomber's roommate. Terrorism-related speculation further erupted when the explosive agent was found to be TATP, the compound used in the July 2005 London bombingscite news | title =Highly explosive material found in apartment of OU student from Colorado| work =KOTV.com| publisher =Associated Press| date =2005-11-19| url =http://kotv.com/news/local/story/?id=93961| accessdate =2007-08-27] , as well as in an infamous attempt to destroy a transatlantic flight by igniting a shoe and by Hamas in clandestine devices intended for detonation by suicide bombers.cite news | last =Naughton| first =Philippe| title =TATP is suicide bombers' weapon of choice| work =The Times| date =2005-07-15| url =http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/article544334.ece| accessdate =2007-08-27] The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and local authorities concluded in 2006 that Hinrichs was alone and had no assistance from terrorist groups, but could not prove or disprove allegations that Hinrichs intended to enter the packed stadium and kill football fans along with himself.

Initial events

Shortly before halftime of the Saturday evening game between the Oklahoma Sooners and the Kansas State Wildcats, spectators inside the stadium heard an explosion. The explosion was reported as being heard up to five miles away, cite news | url=http://hub.ou.edu/articles/article.php?article_id=1492138823&search_id=948578773 | title=Bombs shake campus | work=Oklahoma Daily | first=Scooby | last=Axson | date=2005-10-03| accessdate =2007-08-26] but people on the east side of the stadium heard only a rumble like a low-volume thunder, of the type that signals impending rain. A few heard nothing. [cite web| title =Sometimes a suicide is just a suicide| work =Life and Deatherage| date =2006-04-15| url =http://friends.macjournals.com/mattd/hinrichs| accessdate =2007-08-27] Spectators were not allowed to leave the stadium at half-time, which caused concern among fans who did hear the explosion. No stadium announcements were made until the third and fourth quarters of play, when bus drivers were asked to leave the stadium and meet at the northwest corner of the Asp Avenue Parking Facility. During the last six minutes of the game, an announcement was made over the public address system in the stadium and over local radio to exit through the south and east gates and to avoid the area, known to students and fans as the South Oval, west of the stadium. No further explanations were given to game attendees because university officials "didn't want to start any kind of panic."

First reports said the incendiary device was made with hydrogen peroxide.cite news | title =Father says OU bomber wasn't politically motivated| work =KOTV.com| publisher =Associated Press| date =2005-10-04| url =http://kotv.com/news/local/story/?id=91267| accessdate =2007-08-26] The initial accounts also indicated a second bomb was found, but these accounts were false.cite news | last =Eger| first =Andrea| title =Blast victim was a loner| work =Tulsa World| date =2005-10-03| url =http://www.tulsaworld.com/news/article.aspx?articleID=051003_To_A1_Blast| accessdate =2007-08-26] The area was searched by bomb-sniffing dogs, and no more explosives were found. The remains of the backpack contained a circuit board, wires, and a battery; a small explosive was used to safely detonate it at about 9:00 p.m.cite web| last =Boren| first =David| authorlink =David Boren| title =Statement| publisher =University of Oklahoma| date =2005-10-02| url =http://webapps.ou.edu/DLB_Statement_2.pdf| format =PDF| accessdate =2007-08-26] Other items at the bomb site included a crescent wrench, a white sock with protruding wires, a screwdriver, unused wooden matches, and a chemistry book.

Following the bomb explosion, the entire South Oval was marked as off-limits with crime scene tape. Fans exited the stadium at the conclusion of the game without incident. The South Oval was open the next afternoon except for the immediate area of the explosion, so a broken glass door could be replaced and firefighters could finish spraying down the area with water to wash debris, chemicals and bodily fluids away from the sidewalk and a bus parked there before the preceding day's game. Classes resumed as normal the next morning.

Hinrichs

In a press conference the next day, OU president David Boren identified Hinrichs, a 21-year-old mechanical engineering student, as responsible for the detonation. Originally from Colorado Springs, Colorado, Hinrichs was a National Merit Scholar who graduated from Wasson High School in May 2002.cite news | last =Tyree| first =James |url=http://normantranscript.com/cnhi/thenormantranscript/homepage/local_story_275013811.html | title=Bombing victim identified | work=The Norman Transcript | date=2005-10-02|accessdate =2007-08-26] His father, Joel Hinrichs Jr., described him as a "very private individual" who had gone through "several severe bouts of depression". Hinrichs' depression was noted as early as ten years old. His father believes that the "underlying cause was his inability to bond with other people. He couldn't make friendships," and also said that Hinrichs began counseling at the university's on-campus health center two years earlier. He did not know if his son was still seeing a counselor, and denied knowledge of the young man's suicidal ideations.

Hinrichs was a member of Triangle Fraternity, an engineering and architectural fraternity. Hinrichs' father said that his son had "recently moved out of the Triangle fraternity house because "he didn't bond, didn't relate well to the other fraternity members." In the chapter meeting following the bombing the members of his fraternity were asked to direct all questions and comments to one member of their fraternity and not to discuss anything with the media, this was advised in hopes of limiting rumors and other theories. [cite web| title =Triangle Fraternity: Oklahoma Chapter: Meeting Minutes for 10-2-05 (Meeting #7)| work =OUTriangle.org| date =2005-10-05| url =http://www.outriangle.org/minutes.php?id=191| accessdate =2007-08-27]

Investigation

According to local media, Hinrichs inquired about purchasing a large quantity of ammonium nitrate, the chief ingredient in the 1995 Oklahoma City Bombing, at a local feed store two days before the explosion.cite news | last =Barnes| first =Steve| title =Student Tried to Buy Bomb Component| work =The New York Times| date =2005-10-05| url =http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9E0DE5D61E30F934A35753C1A9639C8B63&n=Top%2fReference%2fTimes%20Topics%2fOrganizations%2fU%2fUniversity%20of%20Oklahoma| accessdate =2007-08-26] An off-duty Norman police officer was in the store and overheard the conversation between the feed store owner and Hinrichs. The officer followed Hinrichs out of the store, checked Hinrichs' license plate, and began an investigation when his shift started. That investigation was still in progress when the bomb went off.cite news | last =Welton |first =Ryan| title =Norman Police: Officer Went "Above And Beyond"| work =KOCO.com| publisher =KOCO-TV| date =2005-10-06| url =http://www.koco.com/news/5065442/detail.html| accessdate =2007-08-26] A computer check, however, showed no outstanding arrest warrants for Hinrichs and no criminal record.

After more investigation, the explosive was found not to be hydrogen peroxide, as first indicated. Instead, Hinrichs detonated triacetone triperoxide (TATP), an extremely unstable compound which can be made by mixing common household products like acetone (found in nail polish remover), chlorine bleach and drain cleaner.cite news | title =Sources Identify TATP As Component Of Bomb| work =KOCO.com| publisher =KOCO-TV| date =2005-10-04| url =http://www.koco.com/news/5058347/detail.html| accessdate =2007-08-26] According to a Norman bomb squad agent, Hinrichs had between two and three pounds of TATP in a bag in his lap. cite news | title =Expert: OU student blew himself up accidentally| work =KOTV.com| publisher =Associated Press| date =2006-03-01| url =http://kotv.com/news/local/story/?id=99768| accessdate =2007-08-26]

When investigators entered Hinrichs' apartment the morning after the explosion, they found more TATP and the necessary chemicals to make more of the substance. Since TATP becomes more unstable as time passes, the Norman Police and the FBI evacuated Hinrichs' building and the four apartment buildings that surrounded it as a precaution. A suicide note was displayed on Hinrichs' open laptop monitor. While detectives were unable to completely retrace Hinrichs' steps that day, they did find that Hinrichs typed "None of you are worth living with. You can all kiss my ass" at about 6:15 pm that evening, approximately 75 minutes before he died. The message was on the computer screen when agents entered Hinrichs' apartment.

Hinrichs told friends and fraternity brothers that he liked explosives, and frequently experimented with building and detonating bombs made in or of plastic soda bottles.Hinrichs kept detailed records of many experiments he performed, done mostly at Red Rock Canyon in Caddo County, in the weeks prior to his death. Along with the chemicals and the suicide note, they found used artillery shells, spent bullets, belts made of used brass shell casings, and military ammunition boxes. Other items taken in the search included a thermometer, a slow cooker, rolls of tape, mixing bowls, and plastic containers.

Hinrichs' roommate, Pakistani Fazal Cheema, met Hinrichs when Cheema placed an advertisement online for a roommate, and Hinrichs responded. The two did not socialize, and although Hinrichs showed the remains of detonated explosive devices to at least one fraternity brother, Cheema was unaware of Hinrichs' interest in explosives. There was already speculation among some right-leaning bloggers and pundits that Hinrichs was a Muslim, cite web| last =Malkin| first =Michelle| authorlink =Michelle Malkin| title =Suicide Bomber In Oklahoma| work =MichelleMalkin.com| date =2005-10-02| url =http://michellemalkin.com/2005/10/02/suicide-bomber-in-oklahoma/| accessdate =2007-08-27] [cite news|url=http://nl.newsbank.com/nojavascript.html|title=Terror in the heartland?|date=2005-10-07|work= Washington Times |format=fee required |accessdate =2007-08-26] but the news of a Pakistani roommate ignited louder rumors that Hinrichs was an Islamic convert who attended the same Norman mosque Zacarias Moussaoui previously attended. cite web| title =The Strange Case of Joel Henry Hinrichs| work =Constantinople Again| date =2007-03-22| url =http://constantinopleagain.blogspot.com/2007/03/there-are-30000-suicides-in-us-each.html| accessdate =2007-08-27] Ashraf Hussein, the president of OU's Muslim Student Association, said he had never seen Hinrichs at a mosque and that he did not believe Hinrichs was Muslim.cite news | last =Ganus| first =Sara| title =Aftermath affects Muslim community| work =Oklahoma Daily| date =2005-10-05| url =http://hub.ou.edu/articles/article.php?article_id=1391703278&search_id=885921226| accessdate =2007-08-26] As many as eight people, including Cheema and OU Arabic language instructor Hossam Barakat, were detained by the Norman Police Department in the early morning hours of October 2 for questioning. They were again questioned the next day, cite news | title =Student Leader: Hinrichs Not Muslim| work =KOCO.com| publisher =KOCO-TV| date =2005-10-05| url =http://www.koco.com/news/5063479/detail.html| accessdate =2007-08-26] after which they were cleared of suspicion.

Rumors also circulated that Hinrichs intended to detonate his homemade bomb inside the stadium; these included allegations that he tried to enter the stadium that evening but was denied entry after he refused to be searched. Hinrichs was not a student football season ticket holder;cite news | title =Student's father says son left suicide message on computer| work =KOTV.com| publisher =Associated Press| date =2005-10-17| url =http://kotv.com/news/local/story/?id=91969| accessdate =2007-08-26] there was no evidence that Hinrichs tried to enter the stadium, and Hinrichs apparently neither bought nor tried to buy a game ticket. Agents scoured hundreds of hours of security camera tapes and found no images of Hinrichs, but they conceded they may never know if Hinrichs wanted to enter or tried to enter the stadium that night. Boren noted that Hinrichs waited until the game was underway and pre-game fans and students had cleared the South Oval; there would have been injuries or deaths to bystanders had Hinrichs detonated his device in the same area prior to or after the game.

Before the October 22, 2005 game, with the Baylor Bears, season ticket holders received a letter from Boren which outlined new stadium security procedures, including restrictions on bags and purses brought into the stadium, more security cameras, and hand searches of belongings. [cite news | last =Tyree| first =James |url=http://www.normantranscript.com/localnews/local_story_291021629.html | title=Letter outlines stadium security |work=The Norman Transcript | date=2005-10-18 | accessdate=2007-08-26] Readmission to the stadium after exiting during the game or at half-time was prohibited except for medical emergencies.

Conclusion and aftermath

In July 2006, the FBI formally declared that there was no evidence Hinrichs was a terrorist.cite news | url=http://kotv.com/news/local/story/?id=107670 | title=OU Bombing Death Not Terrorist-Related | work=KOTV.com| publisher=Associated Press | date=2006-07-16 | accessdate=2007-08-26] Over 200 witnesses were interviewed about the event, and no indications were found that Hinrichs was an extremist, had extremist views, or was working with anyone else to make and explode the bomb. [cite news| title =Bombing at OU was not terrorism, FBI agent declares| work =Tulsa World| publisher =Associated Press| date =2006-07-17| url =http://www.tulsaworld.com/news/article.aspx?articleID=060717_Ne_A10_Bombi2626| accessdate =2007-08-27] Agents with the Norman police and bomb squad said that Hinrichs likely "got cocky" with his explosives – a witness saw Hinrichs rummaging around his backpack shortly before it detonated.

In November 2006, Thomas Carlisle Hinrichs, Joe Hinrichs' brother, was arrested after he allegedly attacked his father and threatened to murder an FBI agent.cite news | url=http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4191/is_20061123/ai_n16877775|title=Bomber's brother arrested in threats|first=Deedee | last=Correll | work=Colorado Springs Gazette | date=2006-11-23| accessdate=2007-05-31 ] [cite news | title =Brother of OU Student to Stand Trial| work =KOTV.com| publisher =Associated Press| date =2007-05-12| url =http://kotv.com/news/local/story/?id=127198| accessdate =2007-08-26] He was found guilty of the crime in June and will be sentenced in October 2007. [cite news | title=Brother of OU man who blew himself up guilty of threatening agent | date=2007-06-28 | accessdate=2007-08-27 | work=Tulsa World |format= cached copy|url=http://64.233.167.104/search?q=cache:-w7DI_0M-6UJ:hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/B/BOMBERS_BROTHER_OKOL-%3FSITE%3DOKTUL%26SECTION%3DHOME%26TEMPLATE%3DDEFAULT+site:ap.org+hinrichs&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=1&gl=us ]

In August 2007, the university held an emergency drill to better prepare for future events during home football games. A gas line rupture inside Oklahoma Memorial Stadium was simulated. More than 500 students participated, along with responders from the Department of Homeland Security, FEMA, the Norman Police Department and Fire Department, the University of Oklahoma Police Department, and the Oklahoma Highway Patrol. It was the first university stadium emergency drill of its kind in the United States. cite web| last =Mossman| first =Kenny| title =Evac Recap| work =Oklahoma Daily| publisher =University of Oklahoma| date =2007-08-24| url =http://hub.ou.edu/articles/article.php?item_id=1127935927&section_id=1774511018| format =video of interview| accessdate =2007-08-27]

ee also

* American Airlines Flight 63
* 7 July 2005 London bombings
* Vollsmose terrorists

References

External links

* [http://www.workingforchange.com/article.cfm?ItemID=21261 Liquid explosives very difficult to make] – WorkingForChange
* [http://www.tfot.info/content/view/92/ TATP – Countering the Mother of Satan] - TATP identification in the field