Waco siege

E90324

The Waco siege was a 1993 law enforcement standoff in Texas between U.S. federal agencies and the Branch Davidians religious sect that ended in a deadly fire and remains one of the most controversial operations in modern American policing.


Statements (48)
Predicate Object
instanceOf law enforcement operation
siege
standoff
aftermath congressional hearings
lawsuits against U.S. government
multiple official investigations
public criticism of federal agencies
associatedWith Oklahoma City bombing
Ruby Ridge standoff
casualties 4 ATF agents killed
76 Branch Davidians killed
multiple wounded on both sides
causeOfDeath fire
gunshot wounds
conflictWith Branch Davidians
country United States
duration 51 days
endDate 1993-04-19
genre modern American policing controversy
hasMainSubject Branch Davidians religious sect
federal law enforcement tactics
impact changes in federal law enforcement policies
increased scrutiny of tactical operations
initialOperation ATF raid on Branch Davidian compound
initialRaidDate 1993-02-28
lawEnforcementAgencyInvolved Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms
Federal Bureau of Investigation
Texas law enforcement
leaderOfOpposingGroup David Koresh
location Mount Carmel Center
near Waco, Texas
mediaCoverage extensive national media coverage
negotiationInvolved yes
negotiator FBI negotiators
notableFor controversial federal law enforcement tactics
ending in deadly fire
impact on U.S. militia movement
influence on anti-government extremism
use of tear gas by FBI
opponent Branch Davidians
reasonForRaid suspected federal firearms violations
suspected illegal weapons stockpiling
religiousGroupInvolved Branch Davidians
result compound destroyed by fire
mass casualties
startDate 1993-02-28
state Texas
timePeriod 1990s

Referenced by (4)
Subject (surface form when different) Predicate
Ruby Ridge standoff
hasRelatedEvent
Waco siege ("ATF raid on Branch Davidian compound")
initialOperation
Timothy McVeigh
inspiredBy
FBI Hostage Rescue Team
notableOperation

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