The federal building was constructed in 1977 at a cost of $14.5 million, and was named for federal judge Alfred P. Murrah, an Oklahoma native. By the 1990s building contained regional offices for the Federal Bureau of Investigation (F.B.I.), the Drug Enforcement Agency (D.E.A.), and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF).
On the morning of April 19, 1995, Timothy McVeigh parked a rented Ryder truck with explosives in front of the complex and, at 9:04am (Central Time), a massive explosion occurred which sheared the entire north side of the building, killing 169 people. See: Oklahoma City bombing
Following investigation and recovery of victim's bodies, the surviving structure was demolished with explosives at 9:01 a.m. (Central Time) on May 23, 1995. The site later became home to the Oklahoma City National Memorial.