.One gang 'ambushed the other' at recruitment event hosted by Twin Peaks Bar and Grill in Waco, Texas
- .It started as a physical fight and escalated to involve chains,
knives and guns - .Diners and employees scrambled for shelter in the freezer as more than 100 rounds were fired
- .8 bikers died at the scene and a 9th in hospital, another 18 bikers were hospitalized, no civilians were injured
- .Police were monitoring the meeting outside but said owners refused to cooperate with them until shooting started
- .Twin Peaks insists they had 'positive communication with the police'. The police said that was nonsense
- .Police surrounded the place and detained gunmen as fighting spilled out into the parking lot
- .The gangs' allies were flocking from across the state to continue confrontation after it ended, police warned
Nine bikers have been killed and 18 hospitalized in a shoot-out between rival gangs at a recruitment event in a suburban Texas restaurant.
What started as a physical fight in the bathroom spilled out into the bar and rapidly escalated to involve chains, clubs, knives and gunfire across Twin Peaks Bar and Grill in a quiet strip of Waco on Sunday afternoon.
Employees and diners, including young children, scrambled and many took shelter in the freezer as hundreds of gang members ran rampage around the booths, according to KXXV.
The fight spilled into the parking lot where a SWAT team shot dead at least one biker and surrounded the rest. When the shooting ended bodies were scattered across the tarmac and cars were riddled with bullet holes.
Though the groups were being held by deputies at gunpoint, police were still warning hours later that armed individuals connected to five gangs were flocking from all over the state to continue confrontation, leading local restaurants to close early. Parts of downtown were on lockdown Sunday night, and officials could be seen stopping and questioning motorcycle riders.
Waco police Sgt W Patrick Swanton told a press conference the recruitment event was hosted by the so-called restaurant - but despite police fears of a conflict, management refused to let officers in to monitor the situation.
Scene: Bikers lay dead by their motorcycles in the parking lot of Twin Peaks Bar and Grill in Waco, Texas, just after midday on Sunday
A biker sits next to what appears to be a covered body after several people were killed during the shoot-out
Police believe five gangs were involved in the shoot-out which has led to restaurants closing across the city
McLennan County Sheriff Parnell McNamara says the nine dead were members of the Bandidos or Cossacks gangs.
Based on their leathers, it appears the Pirados , the Veterans (one sitting), and the Leathernecks (one standing, center) were involved
Panic: Families scrambled and some hid in the freezer of the diner as more than 100 rounds were fired
The recruitment event was hosted by the restaurant but despite police fears of conflict, management wouldn't let officers in
Witnesses described the scene in the quiet commercial shopping strip as a war zone
Consequently, a SWAT team was stationed outside the eatery on Sunday morning for what transpired to be a set-up by one of the gangs.
Multiple police sources told the Waco Tribune it was a fight between the Cossacks and the Bandidos. Based on their leathers, it appears the Scimitars, Los Pirados , the Veterans, and the Leathernecks were also involved.
Swanton said it was the worst violence he had seen in Waco since the siege in 1993. 'We knew there was going to be trouble at this biker event,' he said.
'We have attempted to work with the local management of Twin Peaks to no avail. They have continued to allow these bikers to gather here. What happened here could have been avoided.
'The individuals at Twin Peaks knew this event was occurring and allowed it to happen.
'In 34 years of law enforcement, this is the worst crime scene, the most violent crime scene that I have been involved in. There were dead everywhere, blood everywhere.
'I can't repeat enough how bad this could have been had it not been for Waco SWAT officers and the Department of Public Safety.'
Witnesses described the scene in the quiet commercial shopping strip as a war zone.
'There were maybe 30 guns being fired in the parking lot, maybe 100 rounds,' diner Michelle Logan, 37, told the Waco Tribune.
'They just opened fire. There’s a lot of people in the hospital, a lot of people shot.'
Eight died in the parking lot and a ninth at a local hospital. A number of the 18 hospitalized are in critical condition, police said.
McLennan County Sheriff Parnell McNamara says the nine dead were members of the Bandidos or Cossacks gangs.
The Cossacks (pictured left at the scene) and the Scimitars were working in alliance against the Bandidos (file image, right)
By late Sunday afternoon two groups of gunmen were sat unceremoniously on the tarmac at opposite ends of the parking lot
More than 100 weapons have been confiscated, and three armed individuals that arrived later have been arrested
Parts of downtown were on lockdown Sunday night and officials could be seen stopping and questioning motorcycle riders
Paramedics at the scene of the brutal shoot-out that involved the use of more than 100 weapons, according to police
Families were shaken as they left the crime scene which broke out at lunch time on Sunday
Jay Patel, Twin Peaks spokesman, said in a statement that the diner has 'ongoing and positive communications with the police', adding: 'We are horrified by the criminal, violent acts that occurred outside of our Waco restaurant today.
'We share in the community's trauma. Our priority is to provide a safe and enjoyable environment for our customers and employees, and we consider the police our partners in doing so.
'Our management team has had ongoing and positive communications with the police and we will continue to work with them as we all want to keep violent crime out of our businesses and community. We will continue to cooperate with the police as they investigate this terrible crime.'
Swanton dismissed the suggestion of cooperation as nonsense.
After 15 minutes, the fight spilled into the parking lot of the Central Market Place, where some were shot dead as they mounted their motorcycles.
Outside, officers managed to detain the gang members at gunpoint. By late Sunday afternoon the two groups of gunmen were sat unceremoniously on the tarmac at opposite ends of the parking lot surrounded by armed police.
However the scene was still being described as 'active but under control' at around 5pm as deputies warned individuals were still arriving with weapons.
More than 100 weapons have been confiscated, and three armed individuals that arrived later were arrested.
Swanton said: ‘We are prepared to deal with those individuals if they come to Waco. We are not horse playing. If we have the opportunity to put those individuals in jail, we will arrest them and keep them there.’
Local media reported numerous bikers were arrested at Waco Convention Center after the incident.
Police refuse to say what is happening at the Waco Convention Center but numerous people are being detained, local media reports
Police warned locals to stay away from the area, which law enforcement has been monitoring for weeks in fear of conflict
A heavily armed police officer at the scene of the shoot-out, which left nine bikers dead and a scene of total carnage
Some took to Twitter to suggest that the way the bikers found at the scene were treated is evidence that US authorities are racist
Swanton said it appears one gang set up the other after arranging a meeting, that officers were monitoring from outside.
The Bandidos Motorcycle Club was named by Texan authorities as one of the four most influential gangs in the state alongside the Pagans, Hells Angels, and Outlaws. Members have been convicted of smuggling drugs across the U.S.-Mexican border - an area they are said to specialize in.
The outbreak comes just weeks after McLennan County District Attorney Abel Reyna told KWTX that law enforcement was aware of simmering conflicts between gangs that gathered at the restaurant.
A SWAT team has staked out the eatery on multiple occasions in recent months, most recently a week and a half ago.
Following the shoot-out, some took to Twitter to express surprise that the National Guard wasn't called out, as it was following recent unrest in Baltimore and Ferguson.
There were accusations on the social media site that the fact that many of those linked to the violence - all white men - were allowed to sit by the road and use their phones without being handcuffed is evidence that the US authorities are inherently racist.
Deray Mckesson tweeted: 'If you've never understood the intersection of media bias/race and policing re: whiteness, watch the #TwinPeaksShooting unfold.'
Twin Peaks is a national sports bar and so-called 'breastaurant' chain, akin to a Hooters. The Waco location opened last year in the quiet commercial strip and neighbors Don Carlos, a family eatery.
Dubbed 'the ultimate man cave', Twin Peaks has 55 flat-screen TVs and 24 beers on tap. Waitresses wear revealing red plaid shirts or bikini tops and khaki shorts. The slogan is, 'Eats. Drinks. Scenic Views'.
The managers host a 'Bike Night' every Thursday. Other special events include a beauty contest called Miss Twin Peaks. The bikini-clad winner stands on a table to receive her sash and bouquet.
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