In the spring of 1993, the Branch Davidian Christian sect gained worldwide notoriety when agents from the government's Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF) attempted to execute a search warrant on its compound a few miles outside Waco. The ATF was investigating allegations of illegal weapons hoarding. On Sunday, February 28, a fierce two-hour gun battle took place leaving six Davidians and four ATF agents dead.
A 51-day standoff ensued. Amid the siege, the Branch Davidians' charismatic leader, Vernon Howell, a 33-year-old musician who believed himself to be the final prophet in Christian end-times eschatology and went by the name David Koresh, asked for one of his sermons to be broadcast on a national radio station in return for giving himself up to FBI agents. The surrender never happened. Though a number of Davidians left the compound during the siege, dozens remained inside, and on April 19, more than 80 of them, including 17 children, perished in a fire that engulfed the complex. The television footage was beamed around the world.
Read Full Article »