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The Waco siege, also known as the Waco massacre, was the siege by U.S. federal government and Texas state law enforcement officials of a compound belonging to the religious cult known as the Branch Davidians between February 28 and April 19, 1993.
- Suspected weapons violations, Cause of fire disputed
- Fire destroys compound: 86 dead in total
- February 28 – April 19, 1993 (51 days)
Dec 19, 2017 · Learn about the 51-day standoff between federal agents and the Branch Davidians, a millennial Christian sect led by David Koresh, in 1993. Find out how the siege ended in a deadly fire and what were the consequences for the government and the militia movement.
Apr 23, 2024 · David Koresh. Waco siege, a 51-day standoff between Branch Davidians and federal agents that ended on April 19, 1993, when the religious group’s compound near Waco, Texas, was destroyed in a fire. Nearly 80 people were killed.
- The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
- Laura Barcella
- 5 min
- Experts still debate whether the Branch Davidians were, in fact, a ‘cult.’ Though the dominant narrative at the time of the siege was that Koresh was a sketchy cult leader, there has never been consensus about whether the group was a legitimate cult.
- David Koresh (that wasn’t his real name) was mocked during childhood. David Koresh was born Vernon Wayne Howell in Houston, Texas in 1959. His mother was 15 when she gave birth to him, and Koresh’s grandparents ended up raising him.
- Not everyone thinks the government acted appropriately during the standoff. “There are a whole bunch of unknowns [when it comes to Waco],” says Reavis.
- David Koresh once went to trial for attempted murder. Koresh joined the Branch Davidians when he was 22 years old and soon became enmeshed in an affair with the group’s president, Lois Roden, then in her 60s.
Jan 24, 2018 · 5 minute read. By Melissa Chan. January 24, 2018 9:00 AM EST. T he standoff between federal agents and the Branch Davidians outside Waco, Texas, dominated headlines for months. The siege left...
- 1 min
- Melissa Chan
Mar 22, 2023 · Learn about the 1993 standoff between the FBI and the Branch Davidians, a religious cult led by David Koresh, who died in a fire after a 51-day siege. Watch Waco: American Apocalypse, a three-part docuseries on Netflix, or read the testimonies of survivors and authorities who were there.
Jan 3, 2018 · Survivors of 1993 Waco siege describe what happened in fire that ended the 51-day standoff Branch Davidians barricaded themselves in their compound when the FBI stormed in By ABC News
