Naman Shrestha
Oklahoma City was stunned on the morning of April 19, 1995, when a bomb exploded and destroyed the Alfred P. Murrah building. The bombing led to the loss of hundreds of innocent lives, including more than a dozen children. The entire incident and the manhunt that followed are explored in National Geographic’s three-part documentary series titled ‘Oklahoma City Bombing: One Day in America.’ There were a few survivors of the incident as well, including an ATF Agent named Luke Franey, who features in the documentary and gives a detailed account of his experience.
Luke Franey Escaped From the Destroyed Building on His Own
On the devastating day of April 19, 1995, ATF Agent Luke Franey was in his office inside the Alfred P. Murrah building when the bomb went off and destroyed a third of the building. After he regained consciousness, he found himself trapped on the ninth floor of the Federal Building with no safe exit in sight. Two decades later, he reflected on the explosion and told 9News, “I kind of had a hard time figuring out what was going on, I kind of didn’t know. At that point, I didn’t know it was a bombing. I just knew that something blew up.” At some point, he called up his friend and a fellow ATF Agent, Mark Michalic, to let him know about the bombing.
Luke found a tape recorder amidst the destruction and began recording his observations for evidence. Mark drove down to the Federal Building and spotted his trapped friend. While he was trying to come up with a way to rescue him, a rumor of there being a second bomb inside the building spread. This forced him and others in the vicinity of the building to run away from it. Meanwhile, Luke’s survival instinct kicked in, and he climbed onto a window ledge to get to the stairs. While climbing down the stairs, he was horrified upon noticing that the rails and steps were covered in blood. Ultimately, he managed to exit the building and survive the entire ordeal. Much to his and the entire nation’s relief, the perpetrator, Timothy James McVeigh, was soon brought to justice for the bombing.
Luke Franey Has Immense Experience in Global Security and Crisis Management
Luke Franey has extensive experience in security, criminal investigation, and crisis management. Alongside completing a course on Crisis Leadership and Executive Education Programs from Harvard University, officially known as the John F. Kennedy School of Government, he also holds a Bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice, which he obtained from Sam Houston State University in 1986. Two years after his graduation, in July 1986, he assumed the role of a Special Agent at Dallas Field Division — Oklahoma City Field Office and investigated several cases, including Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), until he was promoted to the post of Resident Agent in Charge – Corpus Christi, TX Field Office in October 2001.
After over 3 years, in 2004, Luke began serving as the Special Agent in Charge of the Critical Incident Management Branch – Special Operations Division. In January 2006, the Special Agent was bumped to the Executive Protection Branch. Over two years and seven months later, he became the Assistant Special Agent in Charge of the Denver Field Division. Luke received a promotion again in November 2013 when he was made the Special Agent of the same division. He began serving as Deputy Assistant Director for Field Operations in July 2015 and went on to exercise his responsibilities for the bureau’s criminal enforcement mission until his retirement from the ATF in March 2016, after nearly three decades of service.
That same month, Luke was hired as the Regional Security Director at First Data Corporation in the Greater Denver Area. After proving his mettle for eight months, he was offered the post of Vice President. Since July 2019, Luke has been working at Fiserv in Frisco, Texas, where he currently holds the position of Vice President of the Global Security and Investigations department. With nearly 40 years of experience in the field, he has proven to be an integral part of the department.
Luke Franey is a Family Man Through and Through
Just like his career, Luke Franey has built a beautiful life on the personal front. He has been married to the love of his life, Michele Buck Franey, for decades, and their bond has only gotten stronger with each passing year. Together with his stunning wife, Luke has raised three free-spirited and bright individuals — two daughters, Katy and Ryan, and a son, Conner. The couple dotes upon their kids and is super proud of everything they’ve achieved in their life. While not much is known about their youngest daughter, Katy, we do know that Conner is an Evergreen High School graduate.
Meanwhile, the eldest Franey child, Ryan, is not only a married woman but also a mother. After dating for a while, she got engaged to her partner, Matt Cunningham, in June 2016. A year later, on June 23, 2017, Ryan and Matt tied the knot in a beautiful ceremony graced by the loving presence and blessings of their family and friends. It goes without saying that it was a precious father-daughter moment when Luke walked his beloved daughter down the aisle. A few years later, likely in 2021, Ryan and Matt gave birth to their son, Landon, who was welcomed by his aunt, uncle, and grandparents with moist eyes and open arms. From what we can tell, Luke and Michele are leading a content life today, surrounded by their loved ones.
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