The Biker Bloodbath in Waco
First came a few pistol shots, several witnesses said, then a barrage of rifle fire during the shootout last month at a Waco restaurant favored by bikers.
But authorities still have not said how many of the dead and wounded were the result of police fire.
Police have identified only one assault weapon, a semi-automatic gun that fires high-powered ammunition, among the firearms confiscated from bikers, and that was found in a locked car after the shooting ended.
But several witnesses – at least three of them veterans with weapons training – say that semi-automatic gunfire dominated the May 17 shootout that left nine dead and 18 wounded.
‘I heard, “pop, pop” small caliber, and then a rapid succession of shots from what sounded to me like an assault rifle,’ said William English.
The former Marine and Iraq war veteran was approaching the front door of the Twin Peaks restaurant for a meeting of biker clubs at the time.
It’s remains unclear exactly what triggered the gunfight.
More than 100 of the 170 people arrested, mostly bikers and family and friends, are still in custody and cannot give their accounts.
Six witnesses have described a melee that began with a few pistol shots but was dominated by semi-automatic gunfire.
Waco police have said they returned fire after being shot at, and call the witnesses’ depictions of events incorrect.
While those with pending charges may benefit by blaming authorities, police have declined to release detailed reports from that day and say they are still awaiting ballistic reports.
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