Hundreds arrested after deadly biker gang meeting in Texas

Bikers in the parking lot of the Twin Peaks restaurant
in Waco, Texas, where nine people were killed in a
motorcycle gang fight, May 17, 2015. Rod Aydelotte /
Waco Tribune Herald / Polaris

Bikers in the parking lot of the Twin Peaks restaurant
in Waco, Texas, where nine people were killed in a
motorcycle gang fight, May 17, 2015. Rod Aydelotte /
Waco Tribune Herald / Polaris

Law enforcement officials remained on alert in Waco, Texas, early Monday after a deadly shootout among rival biker gangs shook the community, and attempts at intimidation ensured officers will stay on the streets, police said.

Waco police Sgt. W. Patrick Swanton said 192 people have been arrested on charges of engaging in organized crime after the brawl Sunday afternoon at a Twin Peaks restaurant. Nine bikers were killed, and at least 18 more were wounded.

"Our citizens are safe. I will tell you that we have had threats against law enforcement officers throughout the night from various biker groups,” he said at a news conference early Monday. “We are very aware that some of them have come into our city, and we have a contingency plan to deal with those individuals if they try to cause trouble here."

The violence erupted shortly after noon in the restaurant, at a busy shopping center along Interstate 35, where members of at least five rival gangs had gathered for a meeting, Swanton said late Sunday. Preliminary findings indicate a dispute broke out in a bathroom, escalated to include knives and firearms and eventually spilled into the restaurant parking lot.  READ MORE