'Evil Does Not Prosper': State Leaders Remember Oklahoma City Bombing 29 Years Later

State and Federal leaders, along with family and friends of both victims and survivors, attended a remembrance ceremony at the Oklahoma City National Memorial and Museum.

9:02 a.m. April 19th, 1995, is the day Oklahoma and the country changed forever as the deadliest act of homegrown terrorism in US history took the lives of 168 people, including 19 children.

On Friday, Oklahoma paused to remember the victims and how people came together to help in the recovery effort.

On the morning of April 19th, 1995, about 500 people went to work at the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City.

Just minutes into the workday, a bomb exploded.

While April 19th is remembered for its horror, the days that followed are remembered for how Oklahomans came together to support victims.

"We showed the world for neighbors to walk with neighbors time after time,” said Gov. Kevin Stitt. “The people of Oklahoma and this nation prove that evil does not prosper."

On Friday, state and federal leaders, along with the friends and family of victims and survivors, gathered outside the Oklahoma City National Memorial and Museum.

There was a 168-second moment of silence, and each victim's name was read.

During the somber ceremony, Governor Kevin Stitt asked people to reflect on the good that came after the tragedy.

"Out of the rubble of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building came the Oklahoma Standard, and today, on the 29th anniversary, we recommit ourselves to that standard," he said.

After the bombing, the federal government created a task force to improve security at federal buildings.

Caitlin Durkovich with the National Security Council says this moment should serve as a reminder for the country.

"The memory of April 19th, 1995, is a lesson to every American,” said Durkovich. “There is no place for political violence in America."

After Friday’s ceremony, the Oklahoma City National Memorial and Museum opened its doors for free to anyone who wanted to learn more about the bombing and the aftermath.