Nobody Knows Who Shot First.

Gunfire Broke out on the Compound When Atf Agents Arrived with Arrest and Search Warrants Against David Koresh and the Branch Davidian Compound, Based on Evidence That the Davidians Were Illegally Stockpiling Weapons. How Did the Shootout Begin? It Still Isn’t Clear. but Amid the Gunfire, Koresh Called 911 to Report the Shooting — and to Preach.

David Koresh Wasn’t His Real Name.

It’s Actually Vernon Wayne Howell. Born in 1959, Koresh Grew up in Houston, Texas, the Son of a Single Mother. Koresh Told the Fbi in Their Late-Night Chats During the Standoff That He Was a Lonely Child, Teased by Other Kids Who Called Him “Vernie. ” He Struggled in School, but Was Drawn to the Bible, Large Portions of Which He Memorized Despite Being Dyslexic.

Koresh Told His Followers He Was the Messiah — but He May Not Have Believed It Himself.

Fbi Agents Told Frontline That Any Branch Davidians Who Wanted to Leave the Compound Had to Undergo an “Exit Interview” with Koresh, Who Would Remind the Wayward Follower That to Abandon Him Was to Reject Salvation.

The Davidians Thought the Devil Rules the World.

The Davidians Were Well-Educated. Koresh’s Deputy Had a Theology Degree, and Another Was an Attorney. So What Did They Believe?

The Fbi Slipped Listening Bugs into Milk Cartons They Sent into the Compound.

Koresh Had Previously Allowed a Few Children to Leave the Compound. So the Fbi Offered to Deliver Milk to the Compound If More Were Released. Koresh Refused the Deal. but the Fbi Sent in Milk Anyway, and Got Something Else from the Delivery: They Planted Listening Bugs in the Milk Cartons and Their Styrofoam Containers.

Two Fbi Teams Clashed over How to Handle Koresh, and It Spilled over into Name-Calling.

The Fbi Had Two Teams Working to End the Standoff: the Negotiators, Who Tried to Establish a Relationship with Koresh and the Other Davidians, and the Hostage Rescue Team, Which Handled the Tactical Maneuvers. the Two Sides Were Often at Odds.

Koresh Repeatedly Told Investigators He Wasn’t Planning a Mass Suicide. Many in the Fbi Believed Him.

Convinced That Koresh Might Eventually Surrender, the Negotiators Kept Talking to Koresh, Offering Him Opportunities to Broadcast His Message on the Radio and Television.

The Fbi Told Attorney General Janet Reno That Children Were Being Abused at Waco, Even Though It Wasn’t True.

Reno Initially Rejected the Fbi’s Tear Gas Plan as Being Too Aggressive. a Strong Advocate for Children, Reno Was Concerned the Davidians Might Use the Children as Human Shields If the Fbi Launched an Offensive. Then Reno Said She Heard from the Fbi That the Children at Waco Being Abused. She Told Abc News’ Nightline:

The Davidians Started the Lethal Fires That Day.

About Six Hours After the Tear Gassing Began, Flames Simultaneously Erupted at Three Separate Locations on the Compound. Audio Recorded by the Milk-Carton Bugs Suggests the Davidians Started the Fires, Acting on Orders from Koresh.

Most of the Davidians Died of Smoke Inhalation After the Fire Began.

The Compound Didn’t Cool Down Until a Week Later. Investigators Found 75 Bodies. Only Nine of the Davidians Had Escaped the Fire. All of the Remaining 25 Children Perished.

10 Things You May Not Know About Waco

By Robert Thorne

• Oct 9, 2026 • 11 min read

Direct Answer • Key Takeaway

February 28, 2018

Robert Thorne

Automotive & Future Transportation Editor

Robert Thorne covers electric vehicle innovations, autonomous driving systems, global mobility trends, and automotive engineering developments.

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