Trigger warning! This article contains discussions of real-world murder and death, including young children.
Warning: Contains SPOILERS for WACO: American Apocalypse
Waco: American Apocalypse details the brutal siege of the Branch Davidian compound and its leader David Koresh, but the documentary missed some key pieces of information. The siege became known as the Waco siege, located a few miles from Waco, Texas, during which 80 people died. Waco: American Apocalypse provides a comprehensive overview of the events, but has missed some essential details regarding the Branch Davidian's origins, their beliefs, and what really happened at Mount Carmel, Waco.
The documentary from Netflix details the final days of David Koresh and his fanatical religious cult, the Branch Davidians, during the infamous Waco siege. The Waco siege was an attempt to arrest Koresh, along with a selection of his followers, for stockpiling and illegally altering weapons. It began on 28 February 1993 and lasted 51 days, until April 19. Waco: American Apocalypse details the siege and even features interviews with Waco survivors like Heather Jones, but omits certain details essential to appreciating the full harrowing story. Here are 14 details Waco: American Apocalypse leaves out.
1 The Early Life Of David Koresh

Much of David Koresh's life before the Waco siege was omitted from Waco: American Apocalypse, which only depicts the siege itself. David Koresh was originally born Vernon Wayne Howell in 1959, changing his name to David Koresh in 1990. In his youth, Koresh attempted to start a record label but could not raise the requisite funds. Subsequently, at 19, Koresh became a born-again-Christian and joined the Branch Davidians in 1981. By 1983, Koresh was claiming to have the power of prophecy and had become a key figure in the Branch Davidians.
2 The Origins Of The Branch Davidians

The Branch Davidians were originally part of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, before establishing their own sect in 1955, using the full name, Branch Davidian Seventh-day Adventist Association. They believed in the literal translation of the bible and were expecting the imminent arrival of the apocalypse and the second coming, which they called the "final messiah." The Branch Davidians set up a church on the Mount Carmel site, where they gathered in anticipation of Armageddon. In many ways, the events depicted in Waco: American Apocalypse conformed to the violent Armageddon the Branch Davidians were expecting.
Control of the group eventually fell to Lois Roden, who groomed Koresh to be the next leader, rather than her son George Roden. After Lois Roden's death in 1986, George Roden inherited the Mount Carmel site, which Koresh subsequently tried to reclaim by force. Roden challenged Koresh to prove his right to leadership and presented Koresh with an exhumed dead body and challenged him to resurrect the corpse. Instead, Koresh reported him to the police who refused to prosecute without evidence. An armed Koresh returned to Mount Carmel in what became the first siege of Mount Carmel, which was not depicted in Waco: American Apocalypse.
3 The First Gun Battle At Mount Carmel, Waco

Not featured in Waco: American Apocalypse were the events of November 3, 1987, when David Koresh and seven others (known as the "Rodenville Eight") armed themselves and attempted to break into the Mount Carmel chapel to acquire photographic evidence of the corpse. Roden discovered this and opened fire at Koresh, and an intense gun battle broke out. After law enforcement arrived, Koresh's faction surrendered and was tried for attempted murder but were all acquitted. During the trial, however, Roden was jailed for contempt of court, during which time Koresh's followers reclaimed the Mount Carmel site.
Related: What Happened To Waco Survivor Kathy Schroeder
4 What David Koresh & The Branch Davidians Actually Believed

David Koresh stated in 1989, that God told him to procreate with the church's female members to establish a "House of David." This led to Koresh separating couples, so only Koresh could have sexual relations with the women, and the men were to practice celibacy. Koresh proselytized that the offspring would form an "Army for God," who would be essential in the imminent apocalypse. During Armageddon, the Branch Davidians were expecting a war, which they were each prepared to die for. This was their motivation during the events of Waco: American Apocalypse.
5 The ATF's Early Surveillance Of The Branch Davidians

Waco: American Apocalypse details the government agencies throughout the Waco siege, but the ATF began surveilling the Branch Davidians several months before, from a vacant property nearby to Mount Carmel. Undercover agent Robert Rodriguez infiltrated the cult to gather information, but Koresh learned his identity. David Koresh reportedly informed Rodriguez that he was expecting the compound would be raided and was aware of the surveillance.
6 The Branch Davidians Were Licensed Firearms Dealers

Not explicitly explained in Waco: American Apocalypse was that the Branch Davidians supported themselves financially by legally selling firearms through a business called Mag Bag. The group's members would often travel to gun shows where they sold guns, all of which were acquired legally. The ATF's case against the Branch Davidians was based on the stockpiling and illegal modification of these weapons.
7 Who Fired The First Shot At Waco?

Both the ATF and the Branch Davidians insist they did not fire the first shot that triggered the siege. Nevertheless, as seen in Waco: American Apocalypse, both sides believed they were under fire and returned in kind. An explanation for this has since been proffered: an ATF agent has suggested that the first shots fired, and heard, were from the ATF agents shooting the Branch Davidian's dogs, which was then misinterpreted by both sides as an assault.
8 The FBI Supplied The Branch Davidian's Video Camera

The video footage seen throughout Waco: American Apocalypse, which documented the Branch Davidians during the siege, was filmed on a video camera supplied to them by the FBI. The FBI sent the video camera and tape in, which Koresh filled with footage of his many children and wives, some of which were still minors. Despite this, Koresh was eloquent and somewhat sympathetic, and he assured the FBI that everybody was staying of their own free will. This was also confirmed in interviews Koresh conducted with Branch Davidian members, before releasing the tape on the 9th day of the Waco siege.
9 The Waco Siege Milk Negotiations

The siege's 51 days were understandably abbreviated for Waco: American Apocalypse, one key moment which was left out was the infamous milk negotiations. On Monday, March 8, 1993, Koresh requested a delivery of milk to feed the young children inside the compound. The FBI agreed, and the next day delivered a crate of milk but secreted a listening device inside. The next morning, the FBI cut the power to Mount Carmel, and Branch Davidian survivors claim this caused all the milk to spoil. It is a perfect example of the negotiation team and the assault units not working in tandem throughout the Waco siege and was depicted in the 2018 Waco miniseries.
10 Mount Carmel Was Bugged With Listening Devices

The FBI planted several listening devices around the Mount Carmel compound from which they monitored the Branch Davidians throughout the whole Waco siege. These comprise a lot of the audio tapes heard throughout Waco: American Apocalypse. It was on these tapes that Branch Davidians can be heard making plans to start the fires which consumed the compound. These recordings came under scrutiny for their poor quality and, at times, differing FBI transcriptions, but nevertheless refute the claims that no fires were planned or started by David Koresh and the Branch Davidians.
11 Where Were The Children In Waco?

One of the most harrowing moments of Waco: American Apocalypse features a description of an FBI agent pleading with a Branch Davidian survivor, asking "Where are the kids?" The Branch Davidian's children were located inside the cement bunker, in the center of the compound. The survivors claim the door to the bunker, and a tunnel leading out, was sealed shut by the rubble the FBI tanks created. The children and women were trapped inside the bunker when the building collapsed, dying from a combination of being buried alive, suffocation, and smoke inhalation.
12 The Department of Justice Concluded The FBI Used Incendiary Devices

Not featured in Waco: American Apocalypse was that the FBI are often accused of starting the fires at Waco. The FBI denied the use of incendiary devices on the siege's last day, but pyrotechnic gas grenades were later found in the Mount Carmel rubble. The ATF waited until 1999 to confirm that these devices were used, which prompted a reexamination of the fire. In 2000, an official report found that despite using incendiary devices, the Branch Davidians definitely started the fires that destroyed the compound. Despite this, some claim the FBI used flammable tear gas during the siege, and it ignited.
13 David Koresh Died From A Gun Shot

Waco: American Apocalypse does not go into details on how Branch Davidian members died in the Mount Carmel compound, implying they were all trapped in the inferno. But autopsy records have indicated that 20 members of the Branch Davidians died of gunshot wounds on the siege's final day, including David Koresh. Koresh and several Branch Davidian members are suspected of executing trapped members - including five children. Koresh was reportedly killed by his top aide, Steve Schneider, who subsequently killed himself.
Related: Waco: 10 Things You Didn't Know About David Koresh
14 The Aftermath Of The Waco Siege

One of the most effective aspects of Waco: American Apocalypse was the interviews with survivors. In fact, during the siege, a total of 35 Branch Davidian members left the compound, including 21 children. A further 9 fled Mount Carmel during the fires on the last day. 11 of these survivors were charged with the murder of federal officers, but only 5 of the Branch Davidians were eventually convicted on the lesser charges. Family members and survivors attempted to bring charges to the US government for the handling of the siege but were dismissed for lack of evidence.
The Branch Davidians have continued to this day, returning to Mount Carmel to build a chapel and turn the site into a memorial. Some members purport that Koresh will one day return from the dead as the next messiah. The Waco siege and the Mount Carmel itself compound have become icons in the American militia movement, and as depicted in Waco: American Apocalypse, directly led to the Oklahoma City bombings.