4 killed in Waco biker gang melee shot by 'same caliber rifle fired by police'

Twin Peaks restaurant in Waco, TX, where the shootout occured
(Image credit: Erich Schlegel/Getty Images)

When a shootout erupted between rival biker gangs in a Waco, Texas, Twin Peaks restaurant last May, police responding to the scene used .233-caliber rifles — the only weapons actually fired by authorities that day. According to new evidence obtained by The Associated Press, four of the nine people killed in the chaos of the incident were struck by the same caliber rifles police used, raising questions of whether or not officers were responsible for any injuries or deaths.

"I think [the police] handled it badly. I think their first responsibility is to be a deterrent to crime, not to set up and hope they get to use their rifles," chapter president of the Cossacks gang John Wilson said. Wilson was at Twin Peaks when the fight broke out between the Cossacks and the Bandidos.

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Jeva Lange

Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.