David Koresh was not the original Branch Davidian leader
The name David Koresh is now synonymous with the Waco siege and the Branch Davidians, so it’s easy to assume that he was the founder of the religious movement. In fact, the Branch Davidian Church was founded in 1955 by Benjamin Roden. It was an offshoot of General Association of Davidian Seventh-Day Adventists, itself founded in 1935 by Victor Houteff.
The Branch Davidians were building an illegal firearms stockpile
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF) assaulted Mount Carmel on February 28, 1993 in response to reports from the McLennan County Sheriff’s Department that the compound had for months been receiving large deliveries from arms dealers, including semiautomatic weapons and grenades. It was also suspected that the Branch Davidians were modifying their guns to make them fully automatic, which contravenes US firearm law.
The Waco siege lasted 51 days in spring 1993
The events that became known as the Waco Siege took place from February 28 to April 19, 1993, at the Mount Carmel Center, a complex of buildings 20 miles east of Waco, Texas. The 51-day siege alarmed the whole world, and to this day it remains the subject of great controversy regarding the action taken by the FBI, ATF and US government.
The siege centred on religious group the Branch Davidians
The Mount Carmel Center was the headquarters of the Branch Davidians, who preached an extreme, apocalyptic take on the Bible, believing that the end times were coming for mankind. Upwards of a hundred people – men, women and children, many of them family – lived together in the complex, devoted to their faith and leader David Koresh.
86 people were dead by the end of the siege
During the initial firefight of February 28, there were a reported ten fatalities: four ATF agents and six members of the Branch Davidians group, with many more injured. By the time the siege ended, with the compound burned to the ground on April 19, no more law enforcement officers were killed, but 76 more Branch Davidians died – among them 28 children, plus leader David Koresh.
The media were on-site throughout the siege
By 1993, with the rise of cable and satellite television, round-the-clock news media became a part of daily life, and the siege of Waco was a big story. Throughout the 51 days, news crews were as commonplace outside Mount Carmel as federal agents, and for TV viewers in the US and worldwide it was possible to watch the whole event play out in real time.
David Koresh was suspected of child abuse
On top of the suspicion that the Branch Davidians were stockpiling weapons, law enforcement also became concerned over allegations of child abuse. As the community’s religious leader, David Koresh had decreed that only he be allowed to have sex with the women there and took many ‘spiritual wives,’ some of whom were said to have been as young as 11.
It’s still unclear whether the ATF or Branch Davidians fired first
Even more than 30 years on, there remains some uncertainty about how the firefight of February 28 really began. ATF agents were forced to make their move on the compound sooner than expected, when the Branch Davidians were unexpectedly tipped off that the raid was coming, but it remains unclear which side pulled the trigger first.
The ATF claimed that the Branch Davidians were running a drugs lab
ATF agents filed reports claiming they had reason to believe methamphetamine was being made in the Mount Carmel compound – but there is no evidence this was the case, and after the assault took place, this was never mentioned again. A congressional report later noted the ATF only mentioned drugs “in requests for military assistance which required drug activity to justify military intervention.”
Arson investigators concluded the Branch Davidians started the fire
The Waco siege came to an alarming end when Mount Carmel burned down, killing almost everyone inside. Many have blamed the government agents for starting the fire, but a subsequent arson investigation concluded that the fire had been started inside the compound. Some of the few surviving Branch Davidians have confirmed this.
There are two memorials
Two memorials have been erected at the Mount Carmel Centre ranch where the siege took place. The first, and rather more resplendent, is dedicated to the Branch Davidians that lost their lives, and its tone is unmistakably supportive of David Koresh. The second memorial is dedicated to the lives of the four ATF agents who were killed in the initial shootout.
The government was sued by relatives of the dead
In the aftermath of the siege, relatives of the Branch Davidians that perished in the compound, as well as a few survivors, opened a wrongful death lawsuit against the federal government. After a lengthy trial, a jury cleared the US Government of culpability, laying the blame squarely on the cult members who had chosen to fight.
Survivors claim the FBI prevented church members from escaping
During the wrongful death trial, several survivors of the siege testified that FBI agents had deliberately fired on them in an attempt to prevent them escaping the fire. Ultimately, after reviewing infrared footage from a low-flying reconnaissance plane that agents had used during the siege, this claim was determined to be false.
David Koresh changed his name
David Koresh remains one of the most infamous cult leaders in American history, and his name is synonymous with the tragic Waco siege. However, Koresh was actually born Vernon Wayne Howell, and he only adopted his new name – which referenced King David David and Cyrus the Great – in 1990, after petitioning a judge to grant his name change for ‘publicity and business purposes’.
The Branch Davidians killed two of their wounded members
During the initial firefight, three Branch Davidians were killed outright, while another two were seriously wounded. Instead of allowing the wounded men to leave and receive and medical attention, or allowing medical professionals into the compound, the Branch Davidians killed them instead, burying their bodies near the compound.
The Branch Davidians split in the 80s
David Koresh became a popular member of the Branch Davidians as soon as he joined the group, and in 1983 he – along with a number of other members – started a splinter movement. When George Roden, the son of cult founder Benjamin Roden, attempted to assert his authority over Koresh’s group, they stormed Mount Carmel Center and started a shootout, eventually seizing control of the compound.
The Branch Davidians are regarded as heroes by some
While the bloody, protracted siege that claimed the lives of 86 Branch Davidians – including many women and children – is largely seen as the fault of the cult members, David Koresh is viewed as a hero by some. A number of organisations, including far-right militias and guns rights activists, celebrate Koresh for standing up against what they view as government oppression.
The ATF wanted to conduct a daytime raid
After conducting months of covert surveillance, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms decided to execute a search warrant on the Branch Davidian’s compound. The initial plan was to conduct a surprise daylight raid, catching the cult unawares and seizing their stockpile of weapons before the group had a chance to fight back.
A reporter accidentally tipped off the Branch Davidians
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms meticulously planned their operation to take advantage of the element of surprise. Unfortunately, on the morning of the planned raid, a reporter who had inside knowledge and was planning to cover the event asked asked a Postal worker – who happened to be David Koresh’s brother-in-law – for directions to the compound, alerting the Davidians that something was up.
16 ATF agents were wounded
The first 45 minutes of the initial gunfight were the fiercest, with ATF agents managing to gain entry to the compound before they were repelled by the Davidians. The fighting continued for two hours in total, only ceasing when the ATF ran out of ammunition. By that time four agents lay dead and another 16 wounded, with injuries ranging from head trauma to gunshot wounds.
Gary Noesner was chief negotiator
Soon after the situation devolved into a siege, veteran FBI agent Gary Noesner was flown in to take charge of negotiations. For 51 days, Noesner and his team attempted to reach a compromise with the Branch Davidians that would result in the cult laying down their weapons and surrendering peacefully. These efforts ultimately proved unsuccessful.
The ATF obtained a warrant using gun modification laws
Suspicious that the Branch Davidians were hoarding stockpiles of weapons, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms wanted to procure a warrant to search the compound and arrest David Koresh. In order to convince a judge to grant the warrant, agents claimed that they believed the cult members were illegally modifying semi-automatic weapons to make them fully automatic.
The siege is referred to as a “massacre” by some
The tragic events that transpired at the Mount Carmel compound are generally referred to as a siege. However, those whose sympathies lie with David Koresh and the Branch Davidians usually refer to it as a massacre, pointing to the large numbers of women and children who lost their lives and claiming that the FBI deliberately prevented them from escaping.
Timothy McVeigh was motivated by Waco
The Oklahoma City Bombing of April 1995 remains the deadliest act of domestic terrorism in US history, claiming the lives of 168 people. The perpetrator, Timothy McVeigh, confessed that he chose to conduct the attack on the second anniversary of the Waco siege, and he claimed that he was motivated to carry out the bombing after witnessing the events at Mount Carmel.
The ATF shot the Branch Davidians’ dogs
The Branch Davidians kept a number of large dogs to guard their compound, and these animals were the first victims of the siege. When ATF agents stormed the compound they fatally shot the dogs they encountered, and it has been speculated that this is one of the reasons the cult, thinking they were under attack and enraged by the killings, opened fire on the agents.
Helicopters may have been used during the siege
One of the key issues of contention that emerged during the subsequent wrongful death lawsuit was whether federal agents used helicopters during their attack. The agents involved testified that the airborne vehicles never came near the compound, and were merely used for surveillance purposes, while the Branch Davidians insisted that they flew within feet of the buildings, opening fire on their occupants.
The agents wrote their blood types on themselves
In an eerily prescient move, the ATF agents who were tasked with conducting the initial raid on the Mount Carmel compound wrote their blood types on their arms or necks. While not standard procedure, the agents theorised that this would facilitate faster blood transfusions in the event any of them were shot. This might well have saved a number of lives.
One of the Branch Davidians called the emergency services
Soon after the Branch Davidians began exchanging shots with the ATF, cult-member Wayne Martin called the emergency services and begged for the attacking agents to stop firing. In the recording of the call, Martin can be heard shouting “that’s them shooting, that’s not us”. Despite Martin’s pleas, both sides carried on firing for the next two hours.
Deaths were captured on camera
With reporters on hand for the entirety of the siege, a number of deaths were captured on film. The first of these occurred within minutes of the shootout erupting. After gaining access to one of the compound’s roofs using a ladder, an ATF agent attempted to take up position by a window. The Branch Davidians opened fire through the wall, killing the agent with a hail of bullets.
David Koresh spoke to the media after the initial attack
In the days following the initial assault on the Mount Carmel compound, the Branch Davidians maintained contact with the outside world via telephone, and David Koresh himself gave several interviews to media outlets. The FBI soon cut off the cult’s ability to contact anyone outside the compound, insisting that all communication should be directly with their negotiators.
The FBI negotiated the release of 19 children
Although overall the FBI’s efforts to negotiate were seen as unsuccessful – which the negotiators later blamed on FBI tactical commanders undermining their efforts – they did achieve one notable success. During the early days of the siege, the Branch Davidians agreed to release 19 children, ranging in age from five months to 12 years, into the care of authorities.
Negotiations were difficult
After establishing communication with the Branch Davidians, chief negotiator Gary Noesner spoke directly to David Koresh. He quickly discovered, however, that Koresh was extremely manipulative and prone to dominating proceedings. Noesner later recalled that the first time they spoke, Koresh asked if he’d ever heard someone die. When Noesner confirmed that he had, Koresh replied, “then you know how to pronounce my name.”
David Koresh broadcast a message to the nation
After several days negotiating, it seemed a breakthrough had been made when David Koresh agreed that the Branch Davidians would surrender if he was allowed to broadcast a prerecorded video to the nation. After the video – in which Koresh acknowledged the deaths of several ATF agents and stated “God will have to sort that out” – was broadcast, Koresh reneged on the deal.
Some believe the FBI and ATF arranged a cover-up
Many in the US (including but not limited to anti-government conspiracy theorists) believe that the authorities covered up what really happened at Mount Carmel, and that FBI and ATF agents were to blame for the compound burning down killing those inside. One notable supporter of this theory was the late stand-up comedian Bill Hicks, who declared that the Branch Davidians were “murdered in cold blood.”
Not everyone agrees that the Branch Davidians were technically a cult
The Branch Davidians are typically described as a cult, but there are some who feel this is not an appropriate label for the group. Dick J Reavis, a reporter who covered the siege and has written a book about it, argues that what “the word ‘cult’ really means is that your religion is smaller than mine.”
Koresh had been bullied as a child
By the end of his life, David Koresh may have inspired many devoted followers within the Branch Davidians and some admiration from others outside the group, but he had not always enjoyed popularity. Back when he grew up as Vernon Howell, he was widely mocked by his peers and had few friends. His social outcast status was reportedly in part due to his dyslexia.
Koresh was a frustrated rock guitarist
David Koresh was a guitar player and singer, and back in the 70s he had moved to Los Angeles in the hopes of pursuing a career in rock music. While his lack of success saw him eventually abandon his rock star dreams, Koresh still performed music whilst leading the Branch Davidians, composing songs to convey his beliefs. It’s said he still played during the siege.
Koresh had previously been tried for the attempted murder of the previous Branch Davidians leader
In 1986, George Roden (son of the Branch Davidian founders Benjamin and Lois Roden) was heir apparent following his mother’s death, but Koresh tried to assume leadership. A shootout ensued, in which George was shot in the chest. He survived, and Koresh was tried for attempted murder, but a mistrial was ruled and Koresh walked free. Roden was later declared legally insane and institutionalized.
2018 TV mini-series Waco was criticized for historical inaccuracy
In 2018, six-part TV miniseries Waco aired on the Paramount network, starring Taylor Kitsch as David Koresh and Michael Shannon as Gary Noesner. The series drew a sizeable audience and some favourable reviews, but it was condemned by some for presenting Koresh in too sympathetic a light and downplaying the darker side of his character.
The Branch Davidian church still exists
Despite most of the Branch Davidians losing their lives by the end of the siege, the religious group itself did not end when the Mount Carmel Center burned down. It still exists today under new name Branch, The Lord Our Righteousness, although there are also several offshoots of this. Some members are reported to believe that Koresh will one day return to lead them again.
