THE BACKGROUND

Who is David Koresh? David Koresh — born Vernon Wayne Howell in 1959 — was a high school dropout with a passion for religion, thanks to his family’s involvement in the Seventh-Day Adventist Church. After an unstable childhood in Houston, Koresh moved to Waco to join the Branch Davidian compound, an obscure offshoot of the Davidian Seventh-Day Adventists. Eventually, Koresh climbed the ranks to become a leader and godlike prophet to this isolated group. Some say he was a madman who abused underage “wives” and planned to bring about Armageddon. Others believe he was a gifted spiritual figure, against whom the federal government had a biased — and lethal — vendetta. The truth remains hotly contested, and it has reverberated throughout American culture for decades. Some even argue the political polarization of today’s United States can be traced to Koresh.

What did he do? Koresh led the Branch Davidians and lived with many of his followers at a compound near Waco, Texas, known as Mount Carmel. These Davidians believed other religious sects, like the Mormons, had lost focus on the imminent Second Coming. Koresh was considered the “Chosen One,” who would prepare his people for, and perhaps even bring about, the end of time.

What was it to the government? Fears over dangerous cult leaders — following cases like Jim Jones’ Peoples Temple mass suicides in the 1970s and the Manson Family murders of the 1960s — may have contributed to suspicion of Davidians, and Texas media ran several reports accusing Koresh of brainwashing and “marrying” girls as young as 12. In 1993, federal authorities received word Koresh was stockpiling an illegal cache of firearms at the Waco compound and chose to confront him. A shoot-out followed, killing both federal agents and Davidians, and leading to a 51-day standoff. The siege ended when the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) stormed the compound and a fire broke out, killing 86 people, among them Koresh and 25 children. The exact cause of the blaze, and the conduct of the FBI, is still disputed.

What the Davidians say: Surviving Davidian Sheila Martin — who lost four of her children in the fire — told CNN on the 18th anniversary of the tragedy: “David is the messiah, and he’s coming back.” Another survivor, David Thibodeau, said of the sect: “It was refreshing to see a group of people who wanted to live their lives according to Scripture. That was an honorable thing.”

What’s the cultural significance? The incident ignited criticism of what some felt was an overreaching liberal government under Bill Clinton, fueling the alt-right and giving rise to right-wing militias. Waco also kicked off debates about religious freedom, media sensationalism, gun control and government cover-ups.