A horrible sight as black smoke drifts hundreds of feet into the sky.
It’s the tragic climax to the siege of Waco in 1993.
And 30 years later, the event still resonates with anti-government extremists. The event inspired the Capitol Hill Rioters of January 6, and it may have influenced Jack Teixeira, the accused leaker.
The standoff between members of the Branch Davidian cult, led by the self-appointed prophet David Koresh, and federal agents ended with 86 dead, including 28 children.
It’s a problem that our country still faces and will continue to face for a while.
Gary Noesner, an ex-FBI agent, negotiated for the release of 35 cultists.
David Koresh is a complex man. Sometimes we would have good, positive discussions. “There were also times where he became extremely angry and paranoid. He was always narcissistic.”
Dana Kiyabu is celebrating a very special anniversary.
She’s mothered two of David Koresh’s 24 children before she left the cult.
She replied: “I didn’t think it was true anymore.” “I knew we’d die if I didn’t leave.”
She also says that she discusses her past and Koresh with her children.
“We talk about it. I’ve been very open with them from the beginning. We had our own memorials. They were all in the same book. I had written down their names and those of their siblings.
“For me the culprit of Waco, even after 30 years of looking at this is clearly David Koresh,” Noesner says. Every day, we gave him an open invitation to bring his people to court to have their day.
The FBI made mistakes, he says.
A new television series is focusing on the historic standoff that preceded it and its events. Showtime is showing “Waco: The Aftermath”.