Waco Siege Ends in Fire, Killing 76 and Devastating ATF Credibility

A 51-day standoff at the Branch Davidian compound near Waco, Texas, ended on April 19, 1993, when fires killed David Koresh and 75 other residents, including 25 children, after the FBI used tear gas to force an end to the siege. The standoff began with a botched February 28 ATF raid in which four agents and six Branch Davidians were killed. Congressional investigations found serious failures in ATF planning and command; Director Stephen Higgins resigned. The disaster — along with the 1992 Ruby Ridge incident — became a rallying point for the militia movement.