Nine Killed In Texas Biker Fight

On Sunday, a Texas biker gang shooting left nine people dead and others wounded as the city of Waco recovers from shock, according to the Associated Press. The shooting at a Twin Peaks restaurant began with a fist fight, but quickly escalated to weapons being drawn, Waco police Sgt. W. Patrick Swanton told the AP. Eight of the shooting victims died at the scene, while a ninth person died at a local hospital.

The Waco Tribune-Herald reported those killed in the shooting were all biker gang members, with no bystander or law enforcement fatalities. "A lot of innocent people could have been injured today," Sgt. Swanton said. "These are very dangerous, hostile criminal biker gangs." As of Sunday evening, 18 people had been confirmed injured in the incident, with most suffering stab wounds or gunshot wounds, some with both, according to the Waco Tribune-Herald.

Police knew ahead of time that the gang members were planning to meet at the restaurant, and there were officers at the scene when the shooting started, the AP reported. A witness told local television station KWTX that he and his family were walking across the parking lot after eating lunch at another nearby restaurant when they heard the gunfire. They hid behind their pick-up truck, the man told KWTX, "because that was the only cover we had."

Sunday's incident comes after several months of rival biker gangs causing problems at the Twin Peaks restaurant, according to ABC News, and authorities remained concerned there may be other rival gangs still seeking some kind of payback. Sgt. Swanton told ABC News the restaurant was aware there were problems, but the management was "not of much assistance" to police.

According to KWTX, District Attorney Abel Reyna said several weeks ago local police were put on high alert on Thursday nights, which were usually "Biker Night" at Twin Peaks.