WACO, Texas — On Feb. 28, 1993, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms tried to execute a search warrant at the Branch Davidian compound in Waco, Texas.
According to Vox, the religious group has its roots 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 stockpile of weapons Koresh and his followers had reportedly amassed at the site.
That raid went horribly wrong.
According to reports, the Branch Davidians knew the ATF was coming and were ready for them. There are conflicting reports over who fired the first shot, but by the end of that first day, five ATF and five Branch Davidians were dead. Another 16 agents were injured.
That sparked a 51-day standoff with the FBI taking over. According to Vox, they used everything from armored tanks and annoying music, to tear gas to end the siege. Instead, it was a massive fire in the compound that finally brought the standoff to an end with 76 Davidians dying.
In the wake of the tragedy, the FBI and ATF were forced to reexamine their operations.
According to the Austin American Statesman, at the time they had 24 different special response teams that were all trained differently and often under-equipped.
After Waco, the ATF standardized training specializing in warrant execution and hostage rescue. The FBI created the Critical Incident Response Group and now trains their tactical and negotiating teams together.