On April 19, 1993, the fifty-one day standoff between the Branch Davidians in Waco, Texas, and U. government law enforcement agencies ended in a tragic fire, leaving David Koresh and eighty of his followers dead (PBS). That final confrontation between the FBI and the Branch Davidians has sparked debate over the government's responsibility to oversee the actions of its agencies and to uphold the rights of its citizens, freedom of religion, and the right to bear arms.
David Koresh was born Vernon Wayne Howell in Houston, Texas in 1959 to a 15-year old single mother (Big Eye). He never knew his father and was raised by his grandparents. Koresh described his childhood as lonely. He said the other kids teased him and called him "Vernie." He was dyslexic, a bad student, and dropped out of high school. However, he had musical ability and a strong interest in the Bible (PBS). By 12, he had memorized large parts of it. When he was 20, Koresh turned to the Church of Seventh Day Adventists, his mother's church, but he was expelled for being a bad influence on the young people (Big Eye). Sometime during the next couple of years, Koresh went to Hollywood to become a rock star, but nothing came of it. Instead, in 1981, he went to Waco, Texas where he joined the Branch Davidians, a religious cult that in 1935 had settled 10 miles outside of Waco. At one time, it had more than 1,400 members. Koresh had an affair with a prophetess who was in her late sixties (PBS). They traveled to Israel together. When she died, a power struggle began between Koresh and her son George began. For a short time, Koresh retreated with his followers to eastern Texas. But in late 1987 he returned to Mount Carmel with seven followers, armed with five semiautomatic assault rifles, two rifles, two 12-gauge shotguns and nearly 400 rounds of ammunition (Big Eye). During the gunfight, the son was shot in the chest and hands. Koresh and his followers went on trial for attempted murder.
