The Mount Carmel Center in flames during the assault on April 19, 1993.
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| Conflict | Waco Siege | | Date | February 28 � April 19, 1993 | | Location | Mount Carmel Center, Waco, Texas, United States | | Result | Raid: Shootout resulting in the ATF retreat
Assault: Buildings burned to the ground resulting in deaths. Walls damaged by the FBI and the Davidians' stored ammunition and explosives increased the casualties. Death of David Koresh. | United States Government
(ATF, FBI, Texas ARNG) | | Branch Davidians | Stuart M. Gerson (to March 12)
Janet Reno (from March 12)
Phil Chojnacki
Jeff Jamar | | David Koresh (died during fire) | raid: 4 dead
1 helicopter damaged
assault: none | raid: 6 dead
assault: at least 74 dead, including 25 children |
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The Waco Siege began on February 28, and ended violently 50 days later on April 19, 1993. The siege began when the United States Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms (ATF) attempted to execute a search warrant at the Branch Davidian ranch at Mount Carmel, a property located nine miles (14 km) east-northeast of Waco, Texas. On Feb. 28th, shortly after attempting to serve the warrant, an intense gun battle erupted, lasting nearly 2 hours. In the aftermath of this armed exchange, four agents and six followers of David Koresh were found to have been killed. Upon the ATF's failure to execute the search warrant, a siege was begun by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. This siege ended 50 days later when a second assault on the compound was made, and then fire engulfed the compound. Seventy-six people (24 of them British nationals) died in the fire, including more than 20 children, two pregnant women, and Koresh himself.
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| Chronology of events February 28 : |
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| Time |
Event |
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| 05:00 |
76 agents assemble at Fort Hood for the drive to the staging area at the Bellmead Civic Center. According to a later Treasury Department Review, the agents drove in an 80-vehicle convoy that stretched for a mile (1.6 km) with a cattle trailer at either end. |
| 09:45 |
ATF agents move in on the compound. A gun battle begins. |
| 09:48 |
Branch Davidian Wayne Martin, a Waco attorney, calls 9-1-1. |
| 11:30 |
Ceasefire reached. |
| 16:00 |
The first message from Koresh is relayed over KRLD Radio In Dallas. |
| 16:55 |
Michael Schroeder is shot dead returning to the compound. |
| 17:00 |
ATF spokesman Ted Royster says gunfire has continued sporadically through the afternoon. |
| 19:30 |
David Koresh is interviewed by CNN. The FBI instructs CNN not to conduct further interviews. |
| 20:15 |
ATF spokesperson Sharon Wheeler says negotiations continue with Davidians and gunfire has ended. |
| 22:00 |
By now 4 children have exited (2 Sonobe children, 2 Fagan children). |
| 22:05 |
Koresh talks for about 20 minutes on KRLD, describing his beliefs and saying he is the most seriously wounded of the Davidians. |
| Chronology of events April 19 : |
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| Time |
Event |
|---|
| 05:50 |
Agents call Davidian compound to warn they are going to begin tank activity and advise residents "to take cover". Agents say the Davidian who answered the phone didn't reply, but instead threw the phone and phone line out of the front door. |
| 05:55 |
FBI Hostage Rescue Team deploys two armored combat engineering vehicles (CEV) to the buildings. CEV1 goes to the left of the buildings, CEV2 to the right. |
| 06:00 |
FBI surveillance tapes from devices planted in the wall of the building record a man inside the compound saying "Everybody wake up, let's start to pray", then, "Pablo have you poured it yet" ..."Huh" ... "Have you poured it yet"... "in the hallway"... "things are poured, right?" CEV1 receives orders to spray two bottles of tear gas into left corner of building. |
| 06:04 |
Armored vehicle with ram and delivery device to pump tear gas into building with pressurized air rips into front wall just left of front door leaving a hole 8 ft (2.4 m) high and 10 ft (3 m) wide. Agents claimed the holes not only allowed insertion of the gas, but also provided a means of escape. Agents allege that 75 rounds are fired from inside building at this time. Agent sees shots from inside the compound directed at CEVs. |
| 06:10 |
FBI surveillance tapes record "don't pour it all out, we might need some later"... "throw the tear gas back out" FBI negotiator Byron Sage is recorded saying "It's time for people to come out." Surveillance tapes records a man saying "what?" then, "no way." |
| 06:12 |
FBI surveillance tapes record Davidians saying "They're gonna kill us", then "They don't want to kill us." |
| 06:31 |
The entire building is gassed. |
| 06:47 |
FBI fires plastic, nonincendiary tear gas rounds through windows. |
| 07:23 |
FBI surveillance tapes record a male Davidian saying, "The fuel has to go all around to get started." Then a second male says, "Well, there are two cans here, if that's poured soon." |
| 07:30 |
CEV1 is redeployed, breaching the building and inserting tear gas. Davidians fire shots at CEV1. |
| 07:48 |
On FBI tapes of agents recorded during the siege, FBI agent requests permission to fire military-style tear gas shells to break through underground concrete bunker. Gets permission, fires two shells. |
| 07:58 |
CEV2, with battering ram, rips hole into second floor of compound and then minutes later another hole is punched into the backside of one of the buildings of the compound. The vehicles then withdraw. |
| 08:08 |
Agent in CEV reports that one military shell bounced off bunker, did not penetrate. |
| 08:24 |
Audio portion of FBI videotape ends, at request of pilot. |
| 09:00 |
The Davidians unfurl a banner which reads "We want our phone fixed." |
| 09:13 |
CEV1 breaks through front door to deliver more gas. |
| 09:20 |
FBI surveillance records a meeting starting at 7:30 AM between several unidentified males. |
| 10:00 |
A man is seen waving a white flag on the southeast side of the compound. He is advised over loudspeakers that if he is surrendering he should come out. He doesn't. At the same time a man believed to be Schneider comes out to retrieve the phone and phone line. |
| 11:30 |
More gas inserted through front, punching another big hole; original CEV2 has mechanical difficulties (damaged tread), replacement breaches through back side of compound. |
| 11:43 |
Another gas insertion takes place, with the armored vehicle moving well into the building to reach the concrete interior room where the FBI believe Davidians are trying to avoid gas. |
| 11:45 |
Wall on right rear collapses. |
| 12:03 |
Armored vehicle turret knocks away first floor corner on right side. |
| 12:07 |
First visible flames appear in two spots in the front of the building, first on the left of the front door on the second floor (a wisp of smoke then a small flicker of flame) then a short time later on the far right side of the front of the building, and at a third spot on the back side. Agents say Branch Davidian members ignited the fires, alleging that observers saw a man dressed in black bend over with cupped hands and then saw flames as he lifted his hands. |
| 12:09 |
Ruth Riddle exits with computer disk in her jacket containing Koresh's Manuscript on the Seven Seals. Third fire detected on first floor. |
| 12:10 |
Flames spread quickly through entire building, fanned by high winds. The building burns very quickly. |
| 12:12 |
Emergency telephone number call placed for fire department. Two Waco FD trucks are dispatched. Shortly after, Bellmead FD dispatches two trucks. |
| 12:22 |
Waco fire trucks arrive at checkpoint where they are halted; Bellmead follows shortly after. |
| 12:25 |
There is a large explosion on the left side. One object hurtles into air, bounces off the top of white bus and lands on grass. |
| 12:30 |
Part of the roof collapses. Around this time there are several further explosions and witnesses report the sound of gunfire, attributed by the FBI to live ammunition cooking off throughout the buildings because of fire. |
| 12:43 |
Fire trucks arrive in compound according to fire department logs. |
| 12:55 |
Fire begins to burn out, compound leveled. |
| 15:45 |
Law enforcement source says David Koresh is dead. |
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