The Waco siege began on February 28, 1993, and ended violently 50 days later on April 19. The siege began when the United States Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms

Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives is a federal law enforcement organization within the United States Department of Justice...

 (ATF) attempted to execute a search warrant at the Branch Davidian ranch at Mount Carmel

Mount Carmel Center

Mount Carmel Center was the name of the Branch Davidian home outside of Waco, Texas, led by Benjamin Roden and later David Koresh. Named after the Biblical Mountain in northern Israel, it was here that the infamous 1993 Waco Siege occurred in which four ATF agents and 83 Branch Davidians died...

, a property located 9 miles (14.5 km) east-northeast of Waco, Texas

Waco, Texas

Waco is a city in and the county seat of McLennan County, Texas. Situated along the Brazos River and on the I-35 corridor, halfway between Dallas and Austin, it is the economic, cultural, and academic center of the 'Heart of Texas' region....

. On February 28, shortly after the attempt to serve the warrant, an intense gun battle erupted, lasting nearly 2 hours. In this armed exchange, four agents and six Branch Davidians were killed.