Branch Davidian siege began 30 years ago

A barrage of bullets flooded the air as law enforcement battled a group of armed civilians in a deadly and controversial engagement that left nearly 100 people dead.

On Feb. 28, 1993, nearly two months before the fiery culmination of a drawn-out siege, agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives went to the Mount Carmel Center ranch in Axtell, about 13 miles from Waco, with a search warrant and several arrest warrants to take down David Koresh — leader of a breakaway sect of the Branch Davidians.

The Branch Davidians were a religious group formed in 1955, based on a prophecy of an imminent apocalypse involving the second coming of Jesus Christ. Over the years, the group moved from the church to the Mount Carmel Center with the followers selling their possessions and living in tents or buses on the compound.

By 1984, Koresh, whose real name was Vernon Wayne Howell, had taken control of a splintered sect of the Branch Davidians.

The federal government believed the group was stockpiling illegal weapons inside the compound and modifying them to have illegal automatic firing capability. They also became increasingly worried about allegations of sexual abuse and misconduct by Koresh.

Koresh allegedly said that God told him to procreate with the women in the group to establish a “House of David,” where only he could have sexual relations with the women while the rest of the men were to remain celibate.

A Waco Tribune-herald article that was published the day before the siege accused Koresh of physically abusing children, taking multiple underage brides as young as 12 and advocating polygamy — saying he was entitled to at least 140 wives.

The ATF became aware of the Branch Davidians after a UPS driver who was delivering a package to a gun store owned and operated by the Branch Davidians in 1992 discovered that the package contained at least a half-dozen grenades. The worker said UPS had delivered several suspicious packages to the store, according to the documentary “Inside Waco.”

Concern grew after several reports were received of automatic gunfire coming from the compound.

But as ATF agents attempted to serve the warrants on Feb. 28, chaos ensued and a major gunbattle broke out. When the smoke settled, four ATF agents and six Branch Davidians were dead.

The ATF’S surprise attack was thwarted after a local television reporter, who learned about the plan, asked for directions to the compound from a mail carrier who happened to be Koresh’s brother-in-law, according to the documentary.

According to survivors, Koresh told select men to start arming themselves and to take defensive positions while the women and children took cover in their rooms.

What happened next isn’t clear.

ATF officials said that agents heard gunshots coming from within the compound, while Branch Davidian survivors said the agents fired first. Either way, an all-out battle began as ATF agents attempted to reach Koresh and the suspected armory.

The shootout lasted two hours before a local sheriff contacted the ATF and negotiated a cease-fire, though some reports say the agents had run out of ammunition, according to the documentary “Waco: The Rules of Engagement.” After the ceasefire, the Davidians held their fire as they allowed the ATF agents to evacuate their dead and wounded and retreat.

After the retreat, the FBI took command of the incident and tried to negotiate a peaceful surrender without success.

The FBI’S ensuing siege lasted 51 days as their tactics to try to force the Branch Davidians grew more aggressive. One technique used was sleep deprivation for the compound’s inhabitants with all-night recordings of jet planes, pop music and the screams of rabbits being slaughtered.

Eventually, the FBI cut power, water and outside communication to the compound.

During the 51 days, Koresh ordered 30 people, including 19 children, to leave. The children were separated and interviewed while the adults were arrested as material witnesses.

The combination of deteriorating conditions and reports that the children were being abused inside the compound prompted newly appointed U.S. Attorney General Janet Reno to authorize the FBI Hostage Rescue Team to mount an assault.

On April 19, just after 6 a.m., the FBI began pumping tear gas into the Mount Carmel Center buildings. The plan was to force out the Branch Davidians without an armed assault. At about noon, however, three fires broke out in different parts of the building, spreading quickly.

The infamous footage of the massive blaze was broadcast live by television crews who were outside the property.

While the FBI said the fires were deliberately started by the Branch Davidians, some survivors believe the tear gas canisters caused the blaze.

Only nine people escaped the fires. Seventysix others, including children, were dead — buried alive, shot or killed by smoke or carbon monoxide inhalation. Some experts believe that the Branch Davidians had time to escape from the fires but waited too long and became trapped. At least 20 people were shot, possibly as mercy killings, after they became trapped.

Koresh was killed by his top aide, who shot the leader and then himself as the fires burned.

The federal government’s response was widely criticized, with many saying that the FBI mishandled the conflict.