Witness: Koresh Sought Gun Upgrade

Branch Davidian leader David Koresh wanted semiautomatic weapons converted into machine guns and grew more militant in the months before government agents attempted to raid the cult’s compound, a former member testified. In a deposition read by government attorneys in a Waco court, Donald Bunds said he made the parts but did not know if a complete gun was constructed. Koresh considered the government an enemy and often spoke about a violent end of the world, he said. On Feb. 28, 1993, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms tried to raid the complex and arrest Koresh, sparking a gun battle in which four agents and six Branch Davidians died. It started a 51-day standoff that ended April 19, 1993, when the cult’s compound burned, killing about 80 Davidians. Bunds’ testimony was offered by the defense during a $675-million wrongful death lawsuit filed by survivors and relatives against the government.