<P> On February 28, 1993 at 9: 45 AM, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms attempted to execute a search warrant relating to alleged sexual abuse charges and illegal weapons violations . The ATF attempted to breach the compound for approximately two hours until their ammunition ran low . Four ATF agents (Steve Willis, Robert Williams, Todd McKeehan, and Conway Charles LeBleu) were killed and another 16 agents were wounded during the raid . The five Branch Davidians killed in the 9: 45 AM raid were Winston Blake (British), Peter Gent (Australian), Peter Hipsman, Perry Jones, and Jaydean Wendell; two at the hands of the Branch Davidians themselves . Almost six hours after the ceasefire, Michael Schroeder was shot dead by ATF agents who alleged he fired a pistol at agents as he attempted to re-enter the compound with Woodrow Kendrick and Norman Allison . His wife claimed that he was merely returning from work and had not participated in the day's earlier altercation . Schroeder had been shot once in the eye, once in the heart, and five times in the back . After the raid, ATF agents established contact with Koresh and others inside of the compound . The FBI took command after the deaths of federal agents, and managed to facilitate the release of 19 children (without their parents) relatively early into the negotiations . The children were then interviewed by the FBI and the Texas Rangers . Allegedly, the children had been physically and sexually abused long before the raid . </P> <P> On April 19, 1993 the FBI moved for a final siege of the compound using large weaponry such as . 50 caliber (12.7 mm) rifles and armored Combat Engineering Vehicles (CEV) to combat the heavily armed Branch Davidians . The FBI attempted to use tear gas to flush out the Branch Davidians without bloodshed . Officially, FBI agents were only permitted to return any incoming fire, not to actively assault the Branch Davidians . When several Branch Davidians opened fire, the FBI's response was to increase the amount of gas being used . Around noon, three fires broke out simultaneously in different parts of the building, The government maintains the fires were deliberately started by Branch Davidians . Some Branch Davidian survivors maintain that the fires were started either accidentally or deliberately by the assault . Of the 85 Branch Davidians in the compound when the final siege began, 76 died on April 19 in various ways, from falling rubble to suffocating effects of the fire, or by gunshot wound from fellow Branch Davidians . The siege lasted 51 days . </P> <P> In all, 4 ATF agents were killed, 16 were wounded, and six Branch Davidians died in the initial raid on February 28 . 76 more died in the final assault on April 19 . The events at Waco spurred criminal prosecution and civil litigation . A federal grand jury indicted 12 of the surviving Branch Davidians charging them with aiding and abetting in murder of federal officers, and unlawful possession and use of various firearms . Eight Branch Davidians were convicted on firearms charges, 5 convicted of voluntary manslaughter, and four were acquitted of all charges . As of July 2007, all Branch Davidians had been released from prison . </P> <P> Several civil suits were brought against the United States government, federal officials, former governor of Texas Ann Richards, and members of the Texas Army National Guard . The bulk of these claims were dismissed because they were insufficient as a matter of law or because the plaintiffs could advance no material evidence in support of them . One case, Andrade v. Chojnacki made it to the Fifth Circuit, which upheld a previous ruling of "take - nothing, denied". </P>

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