Why did Branch David’s siege in Waco lead to significant changes in the FBI and ATF?

Waco, Texas. On February 28, 1993, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms attempted to execute a search warrant at the Branch Davidian complex in Waco, Texas.

According to Vox, the religious group has its origins in the 1930s and was an offshoot of Seventh-day Adventist theology.

In the early 1980s, a troubled man from Houston joined the group. He eventually changed his name to David Koresh and took control of the group in Waco. The ATF was looking for a weapons cache that Koresh and his followers had reportedly assembled at the site.

This raid went horribly wrong.

According to reports, the Branch Davidians were aware of the approach of the ATF and were prepared for it. There are conflicting reports as to who fired the first shot, but by the end of that first day, five ATFs and five Branches of David were dead. Another 16 agents were injured.

This sparked a 51-day standoff with the FBI. They used everything from armored tanks and annoying music to tear gas to end the siege, Vox said. Instead, it was a massive fire in the area that finally ended the standoff when 76 Davidians died.

After the tragedy, the FBI and ATF were forced to rethink their operations.

According to the American statesman Austin, they had 24 different special response teams at the time, all differently trained and often under-equipped.

After Waco, the ATF standardized training, specializing in warrant execution and hostage rescue. The FBI has created a Critical Incident Response Team and is now training its tactical and negotiation teams together.

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