Sic semper tyrannis is a Latin phrase meaning "Thus always to tyrants". It is the state motto of Virginia (and also that of the USS Virginia), recommended by George Mason to the Virginia Convention in 1776. The phrase is attributed to Brutus at the assassination of Julius Caesar. Also, according to some witnesses, John Wilkes Booth shouted it after shooting Abraham Lincoln in 1865. In his mug shots following the Oklahoma City Bombing Timothy McVeigh is wearing a shirt with a picture of Booth on it and "Sic Semper Tyrannis" written below.