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Waco Cult Members To Be Released from Jail

It was announced this week that six members of the Branch Davidian religious cult, whose compound was the center of their bloody standoff against federal agents 13 years ago, will be released in the coming future. The group`s compound in Waco, Texas, was stormed by federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF) agents after a 51-day siege, turning the event into a rallying cry for anti-government activists. A seventh Davidian is also still behind bars but is not scheduled for release until next year.

The seven surviving members of the group went to prison on charges of manslaughter, weapons offenses or both in connection with the shootout, which also left four ATF agents dead. The six that are being released will still be under supervised release for three to five years and barred from associating with one another.

A fireball engulfed the compound during a shoot out, killing almost 80 Branch Davidians trapped in the building, on April 19, 1993. The situation began when agents tried to arrest religious leader David Koresh for stockpiling guns and explosives. Authorities claim the Davidians committed suicide by setting the fire and shooting themselves.