This e-single, a compilation of stories from The New York Times archives, chronicles the 1993 standoff in Waco, Tex., between the U.S. government and the Branch Davidians, a heavily armed religious cult led by David Koresh, a self-styled new messiah.
The siege began on Feb. 28, when more than 100 agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms raided the sect’s 77-acre compound to serve search and arrest warrants on illegal weapons charges. They were met with a barrage of gunfire, resulting in the deaths of four A.T.F. agents and two cult members. In the aftermath of the shootout, despite many attempts by federal agents to negotiate with the cult, Mr. Koresh and his followers refused to surrender. The standoff went on for 51 days, culminating in a violent, fiery end on April 19, 1993.
advertisement