In a letter to FOX News just prior to April 27, 2001, 19 days before his scheduled execution by lethal injection, Timothy McVeigh wrote that prior to the bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building, he had considered other acts of retribution, among them the assassination of then-Attorney General Janet Reno, stating that doing so would make "her accept 'full responsibility' in deed, not just word."

In addition, McVeigh stated that as retaliation for the US involvement in the fire that killed more than 80 followers of David Koresh near Waco, Texas, two years prior to the bombing, he had considered the assassination of Federal Judge Walter Smith, and the assassination of Lon Horiuchi, an FBI sniper in the 51-day standoff at Waco.

McVeigh's own words:

"I decided to send a message to a government that was becoming increasingly hostile, by bombing a government building and the government employees within that building who represent that government."
McVeigh states that the bombing of the building was "morally and strategically equivalent to the U.S. hitting a government building in Serbia, Iraq or other nations." In reasoning why he chose the bombing of the building over the assassination of any one person, he stated that the bombing would serve more purpose; this is likely because it would garner greater national attention.

Timothy McVeigh died May 16th, 2001, at 7 AM CDT, the first federal prisoner to be killed willfully by the government in thirty-eight years.