Bodies were lying outside Twin Peaks restaurant in Waco, Texas when a bathroom brawl of biker gangs lead to nine people dead, 18 injured and hospitalized.
When police were called to end the bloody brawl, the rival gangs even started a shootout with the officers. At least 170 people were arrested and charged for involvement in the incident.
"In 34 years of law enforcement, this is the most violent crime scene I have ever been involved in," Waco Police Sgt. W. Patrick Swanton said. "There is blood everywhere," he added.
Police were processing the massive crime scene, which include the interior of the restaurant and the parking lot where the shootout occured.
They have recovered a number of guns, knives, baseball bats, chains, and brass knuckles.
According to the authorities, five different gangs were involved. One of the gangs was named The Bandidos.
The Bandidos were identified by the Department of Justice as one of the top two largest outlaw motorcycle gangs in the U.S. They are known to transport and distribute illegal drugs, operating in 13 countries internationally.
A rivalry over the turf and recruits was said to be the root of the midday brawl.
Jimmy Graves, a high-up member of The Bandidos and a state chairman for the Texas Confederation of Biker Clubs said it was not a recruitement meeting but a friendly organizational one.
He stated that the club has changed and that crimes were just a thing of the past. Graves blamed some of the Cossacks members for wanting to be outlaws.
The Cossacks Motorcyle Club is a local Texas gang, and is among the five gangs involved in the incident.
For two months, police have been concerned with the presence of the biker gangs at Twin Peaks. The restaurant even hosted special events for the gangs.
Waco police said that this could have been prevented if the restaurant manager cooperated with them ahead of time.
Twin Peaks corporate management is revoking the Waco location's franchise agreement, saying that the management team chose to ignore the warnings of the police officers.
"We are in the people business and the safety of the employees and guests in our restaurants is priority one," the restaurant chain's statement read. "Unfortunately the management team of the franchised restaurant in Waco chose to ignore the warnings and advice from both the police and our company, and did not uphold the high security standards we have in place to ensure everyone is safe at our restaurants."
Bonds were set by a Waco judge at $1 million for many of the suspects.
