Centennial Olympic Park bombing
Centennial Olympic Park bombing
On July 27, 1996, during the Summer Olympics in Atlanta, a pipe bomb exploded at Centennial Olympic Park in downtown Atlanta. The blast killed one person immediately and injured 111 others; another person died later from a heart attack related to the bombing. The attack happened around 1:20 a.m. as thousands watched a concert.
The bomber was Eric Rudolph, motivated by anti-government, far-right extremism and anti-abortion beliefs. This was the first of four bombings Rudolph would commit in 1996–1998 as part of his campaign.
Security guard Richard Jewell discovered the suspicious bag and helped evacuate spectators. He was initially treated as a suspect by the FBI and the media but was cleared in October 1996.
The device was placed under a bench near a concert sound tower and consisted of a green ALICE pack filled with three pipe bombs and nails. One victim, Alice Hawthorne, 44, of Albany, Georgia, was killed by a nail; many others were wounded.
Rudolph was on the run for years and was arrested in 2003. He pled guilty in 2005 to four bombings and received four life sentences without parole.
Despite the attack, the Olympic Games continued. The case also brought intense media scrutiny of Richard Jewell, who was later vindicated and pursued legal action against some outlets.
This page was last edited on 3 February 2026, at 17:27 (CET).