BRANCH DAVIDIAN CULT

ORIGIN

• Victor Houteff 1930s
• Seventh-Day Adventist Church
• Houteff's death leads to many leaders
• Vernon Howell->David Koresh

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DAVID KORESH

• Son of God
• Only fit to translate Scripture
• All women belonged to Koresh
• Apocolyptical confrontation with government

GOVERNMENT

• Heard rumors of wrongdoing
• Child abuse
• Sleep deprivation
• Starvation

DAVID AGUILERA

• Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms (ATF)
• ATF investigator interested in Koresh
• Rumors of illegal weapons
• Invited to view Koresh's weapons

COURT

• Affidavit about illegal weapons to make explosives
• Affadavit was from 1992, court took place 1993
• Supreme Court rule against stale information
• Lax officials=controversial decision

SIEGE

• 1993 ATF approached cult
• Cult was informed and prepared
• 4 ATF agents killed, 16 injured
• 5 cult members killed before cease
• FBI allow peaceful surrender, God statement

SIEGE

• 7 weeks, 35 members released
• Bad conditions in cult, FBI new attack
• April 19, 1993 ATF/FBI would not fire
• Punctured holes, tear gas inside cult
• ATF threw fire grenades at building

FIRE

• Three fires broke out, suffocating remaining
• 76 cult members dead, including Koresh
• Survivors remember with happiness

CONTROVERSY

• Government acted too harsh
• Anger based on rumors

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