Waco Doc: Cult leader David Koresh “needed to fulfill his destiny,” which led to horrific tragedy

Netflix has released a true-crime docuseries, "Waco: American Apocalypse," by filmmaker Tiller Russell to coincide with the 30th anniversary of the siege in 1993.

Chris Whitcomb vividly remembers the moment he saw David Koresh, a doomsday leader of cults.

It was 1993, and Whitcomb was a sniper for the FBI Hostage Rescue Team. A gun battle broke out when Branch Davidians members clashed with ATF agents at the Mount Carmel Center compound in Waco, Texas. It was a 51-day battle that ended in a terrible blaze.

Whitcomb stated that there was one moment in which he could have killed Koresh before the inferno broke out at the property. Whitcomb described it was “having the perfect circumstances” to kill Koresh, and rescue those inside – even children.



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Filmmaker Tiller Russ is exploring the 51-day siege that engulfed David Koresh (pictured right) and resulted in more than 70 deaths in 1993.

Whitcomb stated that it was the moral dilemma. You have to follow a strict set of rules when you are trying to save lives in potentially life-threatening situations. There are certain things you can and cannot do. It is odd that the person making the decision is someone who has had no training or involvement. “I was also very aware of the people in that compound.”

A warrant was issued by the ATF for David Koresh’s arrest. The ATF obtained a warrant for David Koresh’s arrest.

He said, “I had a very long mental process about shooting David Koresh” and the personal consequences. It was an intimate, private moment. It was just two people at 3:00 in the morning. I had to make a difficult decision. Should I shoot one person in order to save 80? It was a difficult conversation to have with myself.

Whitcomb said, “It wasn’t difficult because I was an FBI agent.” I wasn’t going to shoot David Koresh in his head. However, I had to go through the moral imperatives of shooting him or not with the real possibility that 80 people would die. This was a moment that I will never forget.”



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Chris Whitcomb was a sniper in the FBI’s Hostage Rescue Team. They were called to help at an ongoing standoff outside Waco.

It has been almost 30 years since the worst law enforcement incident in American history. Netflix released “Waco: American Apocalypse” to coincide with the 30th anniversary of the tragedy. It includes footage from the FBI Crisis Negotiation Unit and FBI recordings as well as unreleased news footage.

Many people spoke out about the film, including Koresh’s spiritual wife, one of Koresh’s spiritual wives, the last child to be released from the compound alive, and members of ATF tactical who saw their colleagues die in shootout.

Whitcomb acknowledged that he is still struggling to deal with the aftermath of the terrible events and the loss of many lives.

Chris Whitcomb said that he is still dealing with the aftermath from the bloody Waco siege.

He said, “I was there, intimaly engaged with them for 51 days and night.” “I knew their faces. “I knew their faces. I was there as they ate breakfast. I was able to understand almost everything. We had a plan for the last day. They were going to leave the compound, I thought. They had been firing at us with thousands upon thousands of rounds, so I was worried that it would be violent. It had been a violent morning that led up to the fire. However, I don’t think anyone would believe that a fire would break out. We didn’t expect to witness mass suicide. It was not what I expected. It started and I was stunned.”

In 1990, David Koresh was the leader of Branch Davidians. (Netflix).

The FBI blew holes in the compound on April 19, 1993 and injected tear gas. The property caught on fire. Over 70 people perished, including about two dozen children and teens. An ex-senior official, who was appointed by the attorney General to report on the incident in 2000, noted that it was impossible to determine the exact number due to the “extensive burning,” and “commingling” of bodies. Koresh was among the 20 who died from gunshot wounds.

There have been disputes over who started the fires for years. Branch Davidians or authorities? The FBI claims that the fires were started by the followers, but some survivors believe it was federal agents. Investigators concluded that Davidians were responsible for shooting themselves and each other when the fire broke out.



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img alt=”David Koresh convinced the followers that he was their messiah.” src=”https://a57.foxnews.com/static.foxnews.com/foxnews.com/content/uploads/2023/03/640/320/Netflix_DavidKoreshBranchDavidians.jpg?ve=1&tl=1″/>

David Koresh convinced all his followers that he was the messiah. (Netflix).

Whitcomb stated that he was not prepared for the violence he saw. Whitcomb described seeing “skulls everywhere” and Bible pages being burned. The building was engulfed in flames by strong winds within 30 minutes. Nine followers survived the attack.

He stated that the motto of the team was to save lives. Our entire mission in all that we did, from training to application, was saving lives. We found ourselves in a situation where we had to save children and people who wanted out. These were people we, as federal government, considered hostages. It had a profound impact on me when that failed. It was difficult to accept. It was an important part of my life for quite some time. It was difficult for me.”

Russell stated to Fox News Digital that it was an “intensely emotional” experience meeting with survivors for the film.

Heather Jones was one of the last children to flee Mount Carmel in the siege.

He said that he believed the siege had a profound impact on nearly everyone he had the opportunity to meet and spend time with. “Some people are still stuck in the trauma and the events of the past. Some people are able to move on with their lives more easily. It was a tragedy in America that occurred live on national television, with the entire world watching.

According Netflix, the Waco siege is the most violent government-led attack on U.S. soil since Wounded Knee’s 1890 massacre.

He said, “It’s simple to sit outside and judge other people.” “Everybody is screaming, and nobody’s listening. If you are able to sit down with them, you can treat them as human beings, and ask, “What was the path that brought you here?” It’s just very hard for me to picture myself there. Listening to the story of these people and their journey to David Koresh or to this religious sect reveals that they were hungry for God. They wanted meaning. They wanted to be a leader. These are relatable and easy to identify with once you let go of the judgment. This is what I discovered in each case. It gave me an unexpected amount of empathy for each person involved.

He said, “What I felt after spending some time with them was that everybody was trying their best in an impossible situation.”



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Waco survivor David Thibodeau shared his story in the Netflix documentary

Whitcomb wonders if Whitcomb could have prevented the events as they unfold.

He said, “I have been back four more times over the years.” “I have spoken to survivors. It’s something I have considered introspectively. I believe, and people who survived the fire have confirmed this belief to me – that David Koresh had to fulfill his destiny. It was a battle with the federal government. It was a conflagration. It was a kind of death by fire that allowed him to have a resurrection. It was predestined by David Koresh, the only person who could change things. It wouldn’t have ended in any other way, if we had waited for two more months or if it took longer.

David Koresh was shot to the head during the fire. It is not clear if he died from his injuries or was killed. He was 33.

Whitcomb stated that there are still lessons to be learned from today’s siege. Whitcomb described how frustrating it was to see the “abysmal and terrible representations” of previous documentaries trying to explain what happened.

Chris Whitcomb stated to Fox News Digital that there are still many lessons from the Waco tragedy, 30 years later.

He said, “I’m thankful for what Tiller did.” “People can make their own decisions based upon primary sources. They are based on those who saw it, lived it, and who have dealt with it over the years. It clears up 30 years worth of incorrect information about what is now widely discussed.



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Chris Whitcomb said that he is still haunted from the terrible fire at Mount Carmel.

Russell said, “It’s easy for people to judge and say, “These are gullible individuals who fell for a sophisticated manipulative fraud” or “The federal government screwed-up by going into with this overcharge raid and then being outmanned & outgunned” or “The FBI negotiated it too long’ – all kinds of fingers can be pointed.” You can argue about what could have been done differently, until your face is blue. But how do you deal with this culture?

Russell said, “These issues – the role guns play in society, the role and distrust of federal government, God’s role in peoples lives – all these things ring in our ears as societies.” Many of these things are rooted in Waco. It’s important to reflect on the past so we can make better and more informed decisions for the future.


This report was contributed by the Associated Press.

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