Clinton's government deliberately killed the Branch Davidians at Waco
| Clinton's government deliberately killed the Branch Davidians at Waco | |
|---|---|
| FALSE | |
| "Federal agents under the Clinton administration deliberately set the fire or shot the Branch Davidians who died at Waco, Texas, in 1993." | |
| Domain | Crime & Public Safety |
| Tactic | Conspiracy Theory |
| Era | Historical |
| First seen | 1993 |
| Origin | Militia movement videos and books, including the 1997 documentary "Waco: The Rules of Engagement" |
| Last reviewed | 2026-10-29 |
| Further reading: books on Crime & Public Safety | |
On April 19, 1993, after a 51-day standoff, the FBI used tanks to insert tear gas into the Mount Carmel Center near Waco, Texas, home of David Koresh's Branch Davidian sect. Fires broke out and spread. About 76 people died, including more than 20 children.
Theories that federal agents started the fire or machine-gunned people trying to escape spread widely in the militia movement. A special counsel's investigation and a federal civil jury both rejected them.
What the evidence shows
- Who started the fire. Investigators found that the fires began at three separate points inside the building within minutes, and FBI surveillance recordings captured Davidians discussing spreading fuel. The Danforth special counsel report of November 2000 concluded the Davidians set the fires.
- The "gunfire" footage. Infrared footage of flashes was claimed to show agents firing. A 2000 court-supervised field test by a British firm found the flashes were sunlight reflections, not gunfire.
- Real failures. Danforth found that the FBI had concealed its use of pyrotechnic tear gas rounds earlier that day, which fed distrust. Those rounds were fired hours before the fire, at a concrete pit away from the building, and did not cause it.
- Civil jury. In July 2000 an advisory jury in a wrongful-death suit brought by survivors found the government not responsible for the deaths.
Why it matters
Waco was a genuine disaster with serious government errors, including the botched ATF raid that began the standoff and the FBI's later concealment. Those failures are documented. The claim of deliberate killing is not, and it helped radicalize the militia movement, including Oklahoma City bomber Timothy McVeigh.
Sources
- John C. Danforth, Final Report to the Deputy Attorney General Concerning the 1993 Confrontation at the Mt. Carmel Complex, Waco, Texas, November 8, 2000.
- US Department of Justice, Report to the Deputy Attorney General on the Events at Waco, Texas, October 1993.
- The New York Times, "Jury Clears Government in Waco Deaths," July 15, 2000.