David Koresh & The Branch Davidians

Vernon Wayne Howell, aka David Koresh, was a self-styled “prophet” and the leader of an apocalyptic religious cult called the Branch Davidians. Koresh joined the sect in 1983 at age 24, and began a sexual relationship with septuagenarian Lois Roden, who was then the leader of the Branch Davidians. In 1984 Lois Roden’s son George banished Koresh from the sect, so Koresh and his 25 or so followers moved to a new settlement in Palestine, Texas, about 90 miles from Waco. Koresh named his new home “Mount Carmel”. He recruited more followers until the group had grown to over 100 by the early 1990s.

The Branch Davidians were under scrutiny by the U.S. government and the press for Koresh’s polygamy, which included rape and “marriage” of underage girls, some as young as twelve. They were also under suspicion for converting semi-automatic weapons without permits. On February 28, 1993, the U. S. Department of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF) raided Mount Carmel. This raid ended in the death of six Branch Davidians and four ATF agents in a shootout. Subsequent to this debacle, the FBI took over and laid siege to Mount Carmel for 51 days. The FBI employed around-the-clock psychological methods such as shining bright lights on the compound at night, and blasting high decibel sounds, such as Tibetan chants, in an attempt to force the Davidians to surrender.

After receiving permission from then-Attorney General Janet Reno, on April 19, 1993, the FBI inserted CS gas (a type of tear gas which burns the skin and shuts down the respiratory system) into the compound. A fire broke out from inside the compound, and 76 Branch Davidians died, including David Koresh. Twenty-one of the dead were children. Many of the victims (Koresh among them) died of gunshots to the head. It was later determined that the authorities caused the in the building; however, the siege and the methods employed by the ATF and the FBI are controversial to this day.