The ATF was upset that the DEA was getting all the spot light in National Reporting. So one of their offices decided to "create" a high profile raid to get major news reporting.
They targeted the Branch Davidian Compound in Waco Texas. A little History.
David Koresch was a religious nut. His followers were just as nuts as he was. They believed that they would be persecuted and murdered by the Government as a beginning of the end times. Every adult in the Compound was LEGALLY armed. Several Members possessed Federal Firearms Licenses that allowed cross State purchase of firearms and the buying and selling of firearms with few restrictions ( at the time anyone that bought more then 3 weapons could be targeted for buying to many).
They were buying weapons for their personal use and were LEGALLY buying empty grenade shells. I emphasize LEGALLY. It was not then or now illegal to buy empty Grenade shells. All activity was completely legal.
The Compound was respectful of local law enforcement, the Sheriff had been out on more then one occassion for different complaints, every time he went David Koresh Accompanied him BACK to the Sheriff's office to resolve what ever issue it was. The Sheriff usually went alone to the Compound with no fear of the members.
This as the compound the ATF planned a large ARMED raid on. They organized and prepared in open sight of locals of the community, some of whom warned the Compound.
Yet when they arrived at the compound and the first Agent went to the door David Koresh came to that door to talk to him. The raid began, armed agents rushed out of horse trailers and other vehicles several used a ladder to scale the first building.
Several agents climbed in a window in the second floor, Moments latter the Agent still on the roof SPRAYED automatic gun fire into the very window his fellow agents had just entered.
The remaining agents opened fire on the wood frame building wounding David Koresh as he stood in the doorway UNARMED. The door was slammed shut.
A siege then began and was taken over by the FBI. After 3 months Janet Reno ordered the compound be assaulted, a compound with MANY small children in it, a compound the FBI believed was laced with gasoline to set it afire if invaded. A compound full of armed adults that had not ONCE fired at the FBI.
Let me make it clear, the people in the compound made NO effort to attack the FBI and no effort to leave the compound. They were not a threat to anyone except the FBI if it assaulted the compound.
And let me provide some more information, NOT a single bullet hole was ever found in any vehicle in the parking lot of that compound that came from the compound. All holes that existed were from Agent fire on the first day. The door only had holes in it from the outside. The door and all the vehicles survived the eventual assault. Of course when Congress demanded to see that door the FBI claimed they "lost" it.
The FBI assault was started by 2 TANKS ramming the wood frame main building to create breaches. Into these breaches were fired a LOT of smoke and tear gas. You know into a wood frame building the FBI had already stated was loaded with GASOLINE.
A fire swept through all the compound killing every person in the compound. The numerous children were in the only cement structure in the compound and all died of smoke inhalation.
The FBI killed every man woman and child in a compound that was no threat to anyone. Why? Because Janet Reno was tired of the press coverage on the siege.
Before the siege NO ONE ever substantiated any claim that children were being molested inside the compound, in fact those charges were almost never made.
However the FBI quickly rounded up several disgruntled former members and got them to make those claims. To this date no one has ever substantiated that any children were molested or that any fully automatic weapons actually existed in that compound.
Ohh I forgot to mention, to justify the original raid the ATF revoked the FFL's from the Compound members BUT never informed them. No grenade was ever found that was operational either.
They targeted the Branch Davidian Compound in Waco Texas. A little History.
David Koresch was a religious nut. His followers were just as nuts as he was. They believed that they would be persecuted and murdered by the Government as a beginning of the end times. Every adult in the Compound was LEGALLY armed. Several Members possessed Federal Firearms Licenses that allowed cross State purchase of firearms and the buying and selling of firearms with few restrictions ( at the time anyone that bought more then 3 weapons could be targeted for buying to many).
They were buying weapons for their personal use and were LEGALLY buying empty grenade shells. I emphasize LEGALLY. It was not then or now illegal to buy empty Grenade shells. All activity was completely legal.
The Compound was respectful of local law enforcement, the Sheriff had been out on more then one occassion for different complaints, every time he went David Koresh Accompanied him BACK to the Sheriff's office to resolve what ever issue it was. The Sheriff usually went alone to the Compound with no fear of the members.
This as the compound the ATF planned a large ARMED raid on. They organized and prepared in open sight of locals of the community, some of whom warned the Compound.
Yet when they arrived at the compound and the first Agent went to the door David Koresh came to that door to talk to him. The raid began, armed agents rushed out of horse trailers and other vehicles several used a ladder to scale the first building.
Several agents climbed in a window in the second floor, Moments latter the Agent still on the roof SPRAYED automatic gun fire into the very window his fellow agents had just entered.
The remaining agents opened fire on the wood frame building wounding David Koresh as he stood in the doorway UNARMED. The door was slammed shut.
A siege then began and was taken over by the FBI. After 3 months Janet Reno ordered the compound be assaulted, a compound with MANY small children in it, a compound the FBI believed was laced with gasoline to set it afire if invaded. A compound full of armed adults that had not ONCE fired at the FBI.
Let me make it clear, the people in the compound made NO effort to attack the FBI and no effort to leave the compound. They were not a threat to anyone except the FBI if it assaulted the compound.
And let me provide some more information, NOT a single bullet hole was ever found in any vehicle in the parking lot of that compound that came from the compound. All holes that existed were from Agent fire on the first day. The door only had holes in it from the outside. The door and all the vehicles survived the eventual assault. Of course when Congress demanded to see that door the FBI claimed they "lost" it.
The FBI assault was started by 2 TANKS ramming the wood frame main building to create breaches. Into these breaches were fired a LOT of smoke and tear gas. You know into a wood frame building the FBI had already stated was loaded with GASOLINE.
A fire swept through all the compound killing every person in the compound. The numerous children were in the only cement structure in the compound and all died of smoke inhalation.
The FBI killed every man woman and child in a compound that was no threat to anyone. Why? Because Janet Reno was tired of the press coverage on the siege.
Before the siege NO ONE ever substantiated any claim that children were being molested inside the compound, in fact those charges were almost never made.
However the FBI quickly rounded up several disgruntled former members and got them to make those claims. To this date no one has ever substantiated that any children were molested or that any fully automatic weapons actually existed in that compound.
Ohh I forgot to mention, to justify the original raid the ATF revoked the FFL's from the Compound members BUT never informed them. No grenade was ever found that was operational either.
