2005 University of Oklahoma bombing

The 2005 University of Oklahoma Bombing occurred on Saturday, October 1, 2005 at approximately 8:00 PM CDT, when a bomb went off near the George Lynn Cross Hall on the University of Oklahoma campus which houses the Department of Botany and Microbiology. The Norman, Oklahoma police department reported that the bomber was killed in the explosion, and have described it as a suicide bombing, but they refrained from speculating as to whether it was terrorism-related. No one other than the bomber was killed. Minor damage was done to George Lynn Cross Hall [1].

The explosion happened shortly before halftime during a football game between the University of Oklahoma Sooners and the Kansas State Wildcats, where over 84,000 people were in attendance. Although the explosion was heard and felt inside the stadium, no announcements were made to alert the crowd. During the third and fourth quarters of play, announcements were made for bus drivers to leave the stadium and meet near a parking facility, but no reason was given for these announcements.

Initially, there were reports of a second device being found and a controlled detonation taking place at approximately 9:00 PM, but in a statement from David Boren, released by the University, says that while something was found and detonated, it was not an explosive device.[2]

Following the game, the south oval region of the campus was marked as off-limits with crime scene tape. As of the following day, these areas remain off limits to the general public. Additionally, the Parkview apartment complex, which is just to the west of campus and south of the Duck Pond, is now marked with crime scene tape as off limits to the general public, and law enforcement vehicles and personnel have been in the area since mid-morning Sunday October 2.