Waco Siege - 4 FEDERAL AGENTS KILLED - 76 BRANCH DAVIDIAN MEMBERS KILLED INCLUDING 25 CHILDREN

On February 28, 1993, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms (ATF) attempted to execute a search warrant at the Mount Carmel Center near Waco, Texas, the compound of the Branch Davidian religious sect led by David Koresh. A gun battle erupted, killing four ATF agents and six Branch Davidians. The FBI then assumed command and initiated a 51-day siege. On April 19, 1993, the FBI launched a tear gas assault using armored vehicles. A fire engulfed the compound, killing 76 people, including 25 children. The event became a defining symbol of federal force against civilians and was later cited by Timothy McVeigh as motivation for the Oklahoma City bombing. ATF's investigation centered on Koresh and the Davidians being involved in the illegal manufacture and possession of machineguns and the illegal manufacture and possession of destructive devices, including bombs and grenades. ATF's investigation showed that the group acquired:

136 firearms, including assault rifles and handguns
700+ magazines for those firearms
200,000+ rounds of ammunition
110 upper and lower receivers for AR15/M16 rifles
Grenade-launcher attachments for AR15/M16 rifles
400+ empty M31 rifle grenades, along with black powder and other explosive chemicals.

While some lawmakers initially pushed to abolish the agency entirely, Waco started a decade-long conversation about the ATF's bureaucratic placement. In 2003, under the Homeland Security Act, the ATF was officially transferred from the Department of the Treasury to the Department of Justice, aligning it directly with the FBI to ensure seamless inter-agency cooperation.