Waco siege

Waco siege
The Mount Carmel Center the explosion during the raid engulfed in flames on April 19, 1993
DateFebruary 28 – April 19, 1993; 31 years ago (1993-04-19)
Location
Mount Carmel Center, thirteen miles from Waco, Texas, U.S.

31°35′45″N 96°59′17″W / 31.59583°N 96.98806°W / 31.59583; -96.98806
Caused bySuspected weapons violations[1]
Goals
  • The ATF attempted to serve search and arrest warrants.
  • The FBI attempted to end ensuing siege.
Resulted in
  • Four ATF agents and six Branch Davidians killed in initial raid
  • A 51-day siege ensued, ending with an FBI assault during which the compound burned down, killing 76 people inside including David Koresh. Eleven people who left the compound were arrested.[2]
Parties to the civil conflict
Lead figures
Janet Reno
Jeff Jamar
Richard Rogers
David Koresh †
Steven Schneider
Wayne Martin †[3]
Number
Hundreds of ATF and FBI agents.
Unknown number of armed adult Branch Davidians (approx. 80-132)
Casualties
4 ATF agents killed, 16 wounded
6 killed on February 28
76 killed on April 19
Total: 82 killed
Mount Carmel Center is located in Texas
Mount Carmel Center
Mount Carmel Center
Location within Texas

The Waco siege was the siege of a compound belonging to the Branch Davidians, carried out by American federal and Texas state law enforcement, as well as the U.S. military, between February 28 and April 19, 1993.[4]

The Branch Davidians were led by David Koresh and were headquartered at Mount Carmel Center ranch in the community of Axtell, Texas,[5][6][7] 13 miles (21 kilometers) east-northeast of Waco.

The incident began when the ATF attempted to raid the ranch. An intense gun battle erupted, resulting in the deaths of four government agents and six Branch Davidians. Upon the ATF's failure to raid the compound, a siege lasting 51 days was initiated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).

Eventually, the FBI launched an assault and initiated a tear gas attack in an attempt to force the Branch Davidians out of the ranch. During the attack, a fire engulfed Mount Carmel Center. In total, 76 people died,[8][9] including David Koresh.

References

  1. ↑ Report of the Department of the Treasury on the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms Investigation of Vernon Wayne Howell Also Known as David Koresh, September 1993 Archived April 2, 2016, at the Wayback Machine, PDF of actual report Archived April 2, 2016, at the Wayback Machine, p. 8.
  2. ↑ Report of the Department of the Treasury on the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms Investigation of Vernon Wayne Howell Also Known as David Koresh, September 1993 Archived April 2, 2016, at the Wayback Machine, p. 1, 9, 11, 213.
  3. ↑ Report of the Department of the Treasury on the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms Investigation of Vernon Wayne Howell Also Known as David Koresh. September 1993. pp. 51, 77. Archived from the original on April 2, 2016. Retrieved January 1, 2016.
  4. ↑ Justin Sturken and Mary Dore (February 28, 2007). "Remembering the Waco Siege". ABC News. Retrieved 2008-06-23.
  5. ↑ Wright, Stuart A. (September 20, 1995). Armageddon in Waco: Critical Perspectives on the Branch Davidian Conflict. University of Chicago Press. p. 269. ISBN 978-0-226-90844-1.
  6. ↑ Smyrl, Vivian Elizabeth. "Elk, Texas". Handbook of Texas – Texas State Historical Association. Retrieved 25 November 2012.
  7. ↑ Ames, Eric S (May 4, 2009). Images of America WACO. Arcadia Publishing. ISBN 978-0-7385-7131-7.
  8. ↑ Dick J. Reavis, The Ashes of Waco: An Investigation (New York: Simon and Schuster, 1995), p.13. ISBN 0-684-81132-4
  9. ↑ Gennaro Vito, Jeffrey Maahs,Criminology: Theory, Research, and Policy, Edition 3, revised, Jones & Bartlett Publishers, 2011, ISBN 0-7637-6665-8, 9780763766658, P. 340