Thirty years ago, David Koresh predicted Armageddon was coming. As the self-proclaimed second coming of Christ, he also believe he would be resurrected to lead God's army into battle against the forces of darkness.
That second part never materialized, but the end did come for him and 81 others who remained inside the Branch Davidians' Waco-area compound when it burned to the ground on April 19, 1993.
As reporters from all over the country converged on the Texas city, the world watched in real time as Koresh and his followers engaged federal agents in a 51-day standoff that erupted into what Chris Whitcomb, a sniper with the FBI Hostage Rescue Team, describes in a new Netflix docuseries as "apocalyptic carnage."
Whitcomb and others who played key roles in the operation shared their takes on why it ended that way for the three-part Waco: American Apocalypse, as did several former members of Koresh's flock who provide insight into just how deep the loyalty to their leader ran.
The shocking story has been the subject of countless reports and dramatizations, but the Netflix series focuses on the choices made and opportunities missed during the nearly two-month siege. And it's still jaw-dropping madness.
Scroll on for the most intense moments of Waco: American Apocalypse:
Waco: American Apocalypse is streaming on Netflix.