After watching Netflix’s new crime documentary, Oklahoma City Bombing: American Terror, viewers should check out a docuseries released in 2023 that covers a similar tragic event. Created by Greg Tillman, the new Netflix documentary explores the true events of the Oklahoma City Bombing when the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building was destroyed by a bomb planted by war veteran, Timothy McVeigh, on April 19, 1995. Released to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the bombing, the latest in Netflix’s growing list of true-crime documentaries uses interviews with survivors and law enforcement officers to offer new insight into the tragic events.

Oklahoma City Bombing: American Terror depicts how Timothy McVeigh’s strong hatred of the American government led him and his accomplice, Terry Nichols, to create an ᴀssortment of explosives that were planted outside the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building on April 19, 1995. 168 people were killed in the bombing, including 19 children, hundreds were seriously injured, and the explosion caused more than $652 million in damage. The Netflix documentary explores the aftermath of the bombing and what happened to Timothy McVeigh after he was apprehended, and is connected to another docuseries about a similar event that took place two years before the bombing.

Waco: American Apocalypse Explores The 1993 Waco Siege

Waco: American Apocalypse Was Directed By Tiller Russell

Released in 2023, the three-part Netflix docuseries, Waco: American Apocalypse, explores a horrific 51-day siege that took place between the United States federal government, Texas State law enforcement officers, and members of the Branch Davidians, a religious cult led by David Koresh at the Mount Carmel Center ranch in Texas. The siege eventually ended on April 19, 1993, when an FBI raid on the compound led to a fire destroying the Mount Carmel Center, leaving 76 Brand Davidian members ᴅᴇᴀᴅ, including Koresh and 25 children. The true cause of the compound fire remains unknown (via All That’s Interesting).

Directed by Tiller Russell, Netflix’s Waco: American Apocalypse explores the true events that led to the standoff between the FBI, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms, and Brand Davidians, that lasted from February 28 to April 19, 1993. The three-part docuseries also contains interviews with Waco mᴀssacre survivors, including Heather Jones, Kathy Schroeder, and David Thibodeau, who speak about their experiences as members of the Brand Davidians and what happened in their lives after the destruction of the compound. Waco: American Apocalypse was well-received and described as a solid retelling of the tragic events.

The Oklahoma Bombing Perpetrators Were Inspired By The Waco Siege

McVeigh & Nichols Sought Revenge On The American Government For The Waco Siege

During his trial in 1997, Timothy McVeigh cited the Waco siege as part of his motivation for carrying out the Oklahoma City Bombing. In 1993, McVeigh traveled to Waco during the siege to show his support for the Brand Davidians; while there, McVeigh sold books and bumper stickers that promoted pro-gun movements and was pH๏τographed being interviewed by a student journalist. McVeigh was at Nichols’ house in Michigan when the Mount Carmel Center was destroyed. McVeigh and Nichols watched coverage of the events on television; inspired by the siege, they decided to retaliate against the American government (via Famous Trials).

According to The Oklahoman, McVeigh felt the Brand Davidians who died in the siege were “murdered” by the American government and felt that the FBI and ADF failed in their management of the situation; he also planned for the bombing to take place on April 19, to coincide with the Waco siege’s anniversary. Russell’s Waco: American explores the events of April 19, 1993, and the actions taken by law enforcement that led to the destruction of the center. Through eyewitness testimony and video footage, viewers are allowed insight into the siege and how it inspired the tragic events covered in Oklahoma City Bombing: American Terror.

Sources: All That’s Interesting, Famous Trials, The Oklahoman