Here are a few details into the events that led up to a tragic ending.

At some point before the siege, the FBI and ATF were tipped off and led to believe the Branch Davidians illegally stockpiled weapons, a moment depicted in the first episode of the miniseries. According to , the government believed that the group had nearly 250 weapons, ranging from semi-automatic rifles to hundreds of grenades.

The ATF was adamant at the time that they wanted to take Koresh into custody and they wanted to search the compound for illegal weapons.

On February 28, the ATF failed to conduct a raid of the compound. The result was a shootout that killed ten people (four were federal agents and six were Branch Davidians) and wounded Koresh. Thus began a 51-day standoff between the two groups, with the FBI coming in to replace the ATF and assist in negotiations. The bureau tried different to get the religious group to surrender, including playing loud music on speakers to prevent their sleep. At the same time, the FBI, led by Gary Noesner, engaged in 60 hours of with Koresh to try and walk onto the grounds.

On April 19, the FBI finally raided the compound, backed by armored tanks. They used tear gas (approved by then-Attorney General ) and threw them in holes made in the walls of the building. Shortly after, a fire broke out, setting Mount Carmel ablaze. Out of the 85 Branch Davidians living on the grounds, 76including Koresh and 25 childrenperished, with the remainder surviving the tragedy.

Since the incident, there has been much discussion over which side started the fire. Then-President Bill Clinton that he didnt think that the government was responsible for the fire; meanwhile, many believe that the Branch Davidians started it as a means of .