Crimes of the Century (TV Mini Series)

The Siege at Waco (2013)

Randy Parsons: Self - Special Agent, FBI

Quotes 

• Himself - Narrator : The beginning of the end comes just after 12:00 noon. A wisp of smoke floats from a compound window.

  Himself - Special Agent, FBI : My instructions over the loudspeakers went from instructions to pleas. "David, don't do this."

  Himself - Assistant SAC, ATF : And all of a sudden, you see bursts of flames. I'm like "My god, I hope they allowed the children to leave."

  Himself - Special Agent, FBI : I will never forget the exact thought that went through my head when I saw the flames: "Thank god. Those mothers will bring their children out now." And we waited, and waited, and waited. And they didn't bring their children out.

• Himself - Narrator : In the smoldering wreckage of the compound, investigators recover at least 78 bodies, including David Koresh.

  Himself - Special Agent, FBI : It appears as though, um, his second in command, Steve Schneider, um, shot David Koresh in the head with a pistol, and then Schneider, um, turned the pistol on himself.

  Himself - SAC, FBI : The children themselves were mostly executed. They were either beaten to death, stabbed to death, or shot. David Koresh was never going to walk out of that place on our terms. It was doomed from day one that that place, which went by the name of Ranch Apocalypse, was... was destined to, uh, end up in flames.

  Himself - Narrator : In the aftermath of the tragedy, "not another Waco" became a rallying cry for the ATF. The agency improved intelligence gathering and reporting methods, and changed policy regarding who makes on-the-ground incident decisions. The FBI made changes, as well, forming a crisis response group to ensure complete coordination between its negotiators and tactical teams.