The 30th anniversary ceremony of the Oklahoma City bombing was held Saturday

The ceremony for the 30th anniversary of the Oklahoma City bombing was held Saturday, April 19, 2025 at First Church in Oklahoma City, remembering the 168 people that were killed in 1995.

Family members of the victims, survivors of the bombing, present and former Oklahoma City and Oklahoma State officials and former United States President Bill Clinton joined to commemorate the lives that were lost.

Due to inclement weather, the ceremony was moved from the outdoor areas of the Oklahoma City National Memorial & Museum, to inside of First Church where more than one thousand visitors were housed.

At about 8:30 a.m., once the church reached full capacity, introductory remarks were given and those in attendance, including members of the government, members of university administration, first responders, survivors, reporters and more were thanked for their support in helping to continue to preserve the story of the Oklahoma City bombing.

The first guest that was invited to speak was former mayor of Oklahoma City Ronald J. Norick, who served as mayor when the bombing happened.

“We welcome you here today to remember those who were killed, those that survived and those changed forever. May all who leave here know the impact of violence. May this memorial offer comfort, strength, peace, hope and serenity,” read Norick, reciting the memorial’s mission statement.

Norick then introduced the 168-second moment of silence to remember the 168 people that were killed.

In addition, former governor of Oklahoma Frank Keating, who also served at the time of the bombing, was invited to speak and express his feelings about the attack.

“It was unbelievable for those of us who were here… to comprehend that the Devil himself walked the Earth, and murdered 168 of our neighbors and friends,” said Keating.

Despite this, however, Keating emphasized throughout his speech that Oklahoma has and will continue to persevere beyond the attack, stating that “God continues to hold us in his hands.”

This followed into a prayer led by Oklahoma City Fire Department Chaplain Teddy Wilson, the introduction of the color guard and the singing of the Star-Spangled Banner by The Voice winner Jordan Smith.

Current Mayor of Oklahoma City David Holt then spoke to the visitors of the ceremony, emphasizing the motif of “tomorrow,” as a word to remember, especially while commemorating the victims of the Oklahoma City bombing.

“Tomorrow is a blank canvas. And though no one is promised tomorrow, we each depend on it… tomorrow may bring us a better day than today,” stated Holt, further highlighting the importance of remaining hopeful for the future.

Current Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt and United States Senator James Lankford from Oklahoma also came to speak, with both using the bombing as an example of how Oklahomans can continue to grow and learn from tragedy.

“As we gather [on] this…day before Easter, we’ll tell, today, our children and people here, why this memorial stands,” said Lankford.

The keynote address was delivered by former United States President Bill Clinton, who served as president at the time of the bombing.

During his speech, Clinton warned of the United States’ continued polarization within the modern-day political climate and “how such divisiveness can lead to violence, as it did 30 years ago,” reported Sean Murphy for the Associated Press.

Clinton stated, however, that by following the “Oklahoma Standard,” “a term coined to reference the city’s response to the bombing by uniting in service, honor and kindness,” wrote Murphy, the United States could become less of a polarized and violent place in the future.

“You have given America a very great gift. Every year, you get together to reaffirm your model of how, despite all of our differences…[you] have still found a way to move forward together with the Oklahoma Standard,” said Clinton.

The ceremony ended at about 10:30 a.m. with the reading of each name of the 168 people that were killed by the bombing on April 19, 1995, with some readers being some of the victim’s surviving family members.