Biker brawl: Are more gang members headed to north Texas?
North Texas is looking a lot like ground zero in a battle royal for rival biker gangs.
A weekend shootout that left at least nine people dead and 18 hospitalized might be just the beginning.
It could get much uglier.
The gathering storm
How ugly?
A memo to law enforcement warns officers warns that members of the Bandidos and Cossacks motorcycle gangs have reportedly been told to arm themselves and travel to north Texas.
With emotions still raw between the rival biker groups, authorities are concerned.
"We would encourage biker groups to stand down," Waco police Sgt. W. Patrick Swanton told CNN's "Anderson Cooper 360" on Monday night. "There's been enough bloodshed. There's been enough death here."
And Swanton warned other biker gang members against coming to Waco to reignite the violence.
"We would encourage them not to, because we have plenty of space in our county jail to put them there,' he told CNN affiliate KTVT.
The turf war
Sunday's brutal beat down at a Twin Peaks restaurant had been brewing for a while.
The gangs knew it. The police knew.
It all boils down to territory, according to an informant, who goes by the name "Charles Falco."
"The Bandidos are the biggest motorcycle gang in Texas, and they don't allow other motorcycle gangs to enter that state," Falco told CNN's Sara Sidner. "They will allow other motorcycles clubs to exist, but they're not allowed to wear that state bottom rocker. If they do, they face the onslaught of the Bandidos."
Not familiar with the bottom rocker? It's the state name on the back of a biker's vest. It kind of looks like the curved bottom of a rocking chair, hence the name.
The rocker can indicate where someone is from, but it's also a territorial claim for that club. That's why the Bandidos and Cossacks aren't getting along, according to Falco.
The shootout
At least five biker gangs were involved in the violence, a law enforcement source said. In addition to the Cossacks and Bandidos, photos from scene also showed the insignias of the Scimitars and Vaqueros.
Still, it wasn't clear who was involved in the fighting. Authorities wouldn't release the names of the gangs involved.
The United Clubs of Waco billed Sunday's event as the Texas Region 1 Confederation of Clubs and Independents meeting.
A heavy law enforcement presence was there -- both inside and outside -- fearing conditions were ripe for a clash between the rival gangs.
An altercation in the bathroom seems to have sparked the violence. Shots were fired inside the eatery and a brawl spilled onto the patio area, before scores of men flooded the parking lot in broad daylight. Some bikers were beaten with brass knuckles, clubs and chains, while others were stabbed or shot, Swanton said.
When police responded -- within 30 to 45 seconds because of their proximity -- the bikers turned their weapons on law enforcement, he said.
"Our officers took fire and responded appropriately, returning fire," the sergeant said.
Of the nine deaths, a law enforcement source says preliminary information indicates that four of the bikers were killed by police gunfire. The investigation continues and the ballistics will be analyzed to determine for certain who was responsible for each shooting.
At least 170 people were arrested and charged. More than 100 weapons were confiscated as well, Swanton said.
Even after the chaos subsided, Waco police continued arresting people arriving at the scene with weapons.
Swanton called it "the most violent and gruesome scene that I have dealt with" in three and a half decades of law enforcement.
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