Gathering erupts into gunfire

The unforgiving landscape of warring motorcycle club reached a flashpoint in Waco, Texas, on May 17, with nine people dead after a supposedly benign gathering between the Bandidos and Cossacks to discuss riders' rights and "mutual interests" erupted into a blood bath.

According to eyewitness, eight Cossacks were killed and one member of the Bandidos.

A local sheriff, said that "bad guys' weapons" were found after the brawl, including knives, guns, clubs and firearms.
A day after the bloody brawl, about 170 bikers were charged with engaging in organised crime linked to capital murder, and now prosecutors and a grand jury will decide the ultimate fate of those indicted. Capital punishment could be the end result.

The two clubs both originated in Texas in the 1960s, with the Bandidos coming first by three years — and since then has been the biggest motorcycle group in the state.

“The view of the Bandidos is that Texas is their state,” Terry Katz, the vice president of the International Association of Outlaw Motorcycle Gang Investigators, was quoted as saying in the New York Times. “They are the big dogs of Texas, and then this other, smaller club — the Cossacks — comes along in 1969 or so, and they decide that they are not going to bow down.”

The violence took place at a franchise restaurant in south Waco called Twin Peaks, which is a Hooters-style chain known for scantily clad waitresses. The business has since been ordered to close for a at least a week by the state's liquor licencing commission, and its corporate headquarters revoked its franchise agreement.

After the shooting, the state-run Texas Joint Crime Information Center issued an advisory that members of the Bandidos and the Cossacks “reportedly have been instructed to arm themselves with weapons and travel to north Texas.” The bulletin said officers throughout Texas “should be aware of the escalating violence between both groups and are to consider all Bandidos and Cossacks members as armed and dangerous.”

Meantime, the Harley-Davidson dealership in Waco closed indefinitely at the request of police. Motorcycle riders have also been asked to stay off the roads while police snipers have taken to rooftops to watch Waco streets.

"We will be working closely with Waco PD to determine when it is safe to reopen. They have also requested that you avoid riding in the area if you have another form of transportation," the Harley-Davidson dealership posted on its Facebook page.

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