Branch Davidians
In 1981, a young man named Vernon Howell, later known as David Koresh, came to Mount Carmel and studied biblical prophecy under Lois Roden. By 1984 the core group of Davidians had shifted their allegiance from Lois' son George to Koresh. Koresh's leadership of the Davidians ended at the climax of the Waco siege of 1993, a 51-day standoff between members of the sect and federal agents, when Mount Carmel was destroyed in a fire. Four ATF agents and two residents of Mt. Carmel were killed by members of the Branch Davidians during the initial raid, while four members of the Branch Davidians were killed by ATF agents on February 28, 1993. Seventy-six Branch Davidians of all ages died in a fire that erupted during the siege on April 19, 1993.