Timothy McVeigh was born on April 23, 1968, and grew up in the small town of Pendleton, New York. His father, William, worked at a radiator plant while his mother, Mildred, worked for a travel agency. In his teen years, McVeigh’s parents divorced and he lived with his father. According to Biography, it was at that time that he became interested in guns and shooting.

McVeigh was an intelligent boy and was offered a partial scholarship after high school. He studied business but didn’t finish college, as he dropped out to join the Army, where he thrived and was a model soldier. As reported by CNN, McVeigh was sent to fight in the Persian Gulf War. He took an early discharge and became a civilian in 1991. According to William, he observed noticeable changes in his son after he returned from the war. He recalled how his son, who he called Timmy, was always happy and smiling when he was a child, but he no longer saw that same person when Timothy returned from the Persian Gulf. As his aunt said, he looked “broken” when he returned.