After a few days in Waco, McVeigh left to tell others about his experiences. He went to a gun show in Pennsylvania and then drove to Michigan to see his old army friend Terry Nichols. With the end of the siege nowhere in sight, the two 18 made plans to drive down to Waco together to demonstrate their solidarity with the Branch Davidians. But the FBI put an end to their plans on April 19, 1993, before the two men even left on their road trip.

During the early morning hours of April 19, the FBI tried to force the Davidians to surrender by using tanks to shoot canisters of tear gas into the compound's buildings and, according to government agents, to knock holes in the walls and doors "from which the Davidians could leave the compound." Then, at about noon, three fires broke out simultaneously in the compound; both...