David Koresh
David Koresh (/kəˈrɛʃ/; born Vernon Wayne Howell; August 17, 1959 – April 19, 1993) was an American cult leader who played a central role in the Waco siege of 1993. As the head of the Branch Davidians, a religious sect and offshoot of the Seventh-day Adventists, Koresh claimed to be its final prophet. His apocalyptic Biblical teachings, including interpretations of the Book of Revelation and the Seven Seals, attracted various followers.
David Koresh | |
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Photograph of Koresh taken in 1987 by police after his arrest. | |
| Born | Vernon Wayne Howell August 17, 1959 Houston, Texas, U.S. |
| Died | April 19, 1993 (aged 33) Mount Carmel Center McLennan County, Texas, U.S. |
| Cause of death | Gunshot wound to the head or fire wounds sustained in the Waco siege |
| Body discovered | Mount Carmel Center McLennan County, Texas, U.S. |
| Resting place | Tyler Memorial Park Cemetery, Tyler, Texas 32.35640°N 95.36750°W |
| Occupation | Leader of the Branch Davidians cult |
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| Spouse | Rachel Jones |
| Children | 16 |
Coming from a dysfunctional background, Koresh was a member and later a leader of the Branch Davidians, a movement originally led by Benjamin Roden, based at the Mount Carmel Center outside Waco, Texas. There, Koresh competed for dominance with another leader, Benjamin Roden's son George, until Koresh and his followers took over Mount Carmel in 1987. In the early 1990s, he became subject to allegations about polygamy and child sexual abuse by former Branch Davidian associates.
Further allegations related to the Branch Davidians' stockpiling of weapons led the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms (ATF) and later the FBI to launch a raid on the group's Mount Carmel compound in February 1993. During the 51-day siege and violence that ensued, Koresh was wounded by ATF forces and later died of a gunshot in unclear circumstances as the compound was destroyed in a fire.