It was one of the deadliest shootouts in the wild history of Texas. It didn’t happen during the violent post-Civil War era. It didn’t involve the Regulators and the Moderators or the gunslingers of the Sutton-Taylor factions. Wes Hardin wasn’t there.
No, the blazing guns came out of a confrontation on May 17, 2015, between Bandidos and Cossacks motorcycle clubs (and the cops) at a Waco breastaurant (Twin Peaks. Get it?) . Nine dead, 18 wounded and 175 incarcerated. Several of the dead were shot in the head or the chest with .223 rounds. Draw your own conclusions from that.
GQ magazine has an in-depth report here. Mighty interesting reading.
Here’s a lengthy CNN video.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eM5SrnjLJcQ
••••
On the subject of biker mayhem…
One of my favorite Steve Earle songs, from the dark period when he fell off the cliff of cocaine and heroin addiction, is “Justice in Ontario,” which links the 19th Century lynching of the Black Donnellys with a shooting in a Port Hope, Ontario, hotel bar that left a man dead and several outlaw bikers (perhaps unjustly) jailed.
An under-recognized modern folk ballad in the tradition of “The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald.”
Caught in the crossfire. Sadly, Twin Peaks in Waco is no more…
Norm Andrews says
Looking at the last picture , there must be a joke about twin peaks , but I am not going to make it .
Norm.
JimC says
Oh, go for it Norm. You’re amongst friends.
Paul McNamee says
Well, now that I’m on a Taj Mahal kick; re: the last photo
“Oh, I wish I was in Texas
Movin’ on a steady roll
I wish I was in Texas
Movin’ on a steady roll
You know I love that fine lookin’
Texas woman to satisfy my soul”
(I believe the backing singers are the Pointer Sisters)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=51KzgOmmB6w
JimC says
Keep it rollin’!
Keith West says
I am in Texas. *evil grin*
Just sayin’.
I’m going to have to read the linked article later today when I have more time. That incident was a big deal down here and got coverage for days.
JimC says
I’ll be interested to hear what you think of the piece.
John says
I have watched a few videos of the incident, and the are disturbingly real, being primarily security cameras. I have to admit, though, that watching the Twin Peaks waitresses run, even in a panic, is kind of fun. They hired well.
Every cloud does have a silver lining, I suppose.
John C.
deuce says
The girl second from the left reminds me a LOT of one of my exes (she was advised to have breast reduction surgery about 8yrs ago; still a double D). I had to do a double (D) take. However, I know for certain that she’s been working in Wichita for the last 3yrs (we’re still FB friends).
I hardly knew anything about the Black Donnellys. Thanks for that, Jim. Reading through the info, I was struck by the Old World/Irish roots of the conflict. I’ve got Maher ancestors (still have kin in Tipperary and Queensland) and I’ve probably got Donnelly blood from Tipperary times. My cousin married a Carroll. A similar situation ’round here in SEK in regard to Reiver families.
Yeah, I imagine that the Waco cops thought it was Xmas in May. A turkey shoot.
Question: Can we have too much Steve Earl tunes on the FP blog?
JimC says
Ah, the beauties make one sigh, don’t they?….
The tale of the Black Donnelleys ought be right in your wheelhouse.
As for Mr. Earle — stay tuned tomorrow.
john maddox roberts says
Ah, Texas. It’s good to see that there are still people in my old state willing to maintain the old spirit. And they did it without bagging any innocent bystanders. That’s the Texas way. And the .223 wounds? Seeing the footage, it’s pretty clear what kind of armament the bikers had and what the police packed.
JimC says
Yep. Like Deuce said — a big Texas turkey shoot.