Waco biker gang shooting victims identified
Waco authorities released the names of the biker gang members killed in the Twin Peaks shootout Sunday.
Nine people died and 18 more were hurt in the violence that happened at the restaurant off Interstate 35.
The preliminary autopsy report identifies the dead men as: 47-year-old Richard Vincent Kirshner Jr., 39-year-old Jacob Lee Rhyne, 43-year-old Wayne Lee Campbell, 44-year-old Daniel Raymon Boyett, 46-year-old Charles Wayne Russell, 65-year-old Jesus Delgado Rodriguez, 31-year-old Richard Matthew Jordan II, 40-year-old Manuel Issac Rodriguez and 27-year-old Matthew Mark Smith.
The report notes several of the men died from gunshot wounds to the head. Others were shot in the chest, trunk or neck.
Four of the men – Kirshner, Campbell, Smith and Manual Rodriguez – are believed to be from North Texas.
So far, 170 gang member who were at the restaurant have been charged with engaging in organized criminal activity. Some could be charged with murder.
At least 18 are from North Texas. They have been identified as Ray Allen of Krum, Blake Taylor of Lewisville, Richard Luther of Garland, Sergio Reyes of Dallas, Clayton Reed of Joshua, Eleazar Martinez of Grand Prairie, Tommy Jennings of Hurst, Michael Herring of Mesquite, Matthew Folse of Dallas, James Devoll of Fort Worth, James David of Mansfield, Brian Brincks of Grapevine, Robert Bucy of Midlothian, Brian Logan of Midlothian, Dustin McCann of North Richland Hills, Christian Valencia of Midlothian, Michael Moore of Fort Worth and Billy Mcree of Seagoville.
The men are all being held in the McClennan County jail. The bond for each was set at $1 million.
McLennan County Justice of the Peace W.H. Peterson told the Associated Press he thought the high amount was justified because of how quickly the violence escalated in a busy shopping center with a lunchtime crowd.
Waco Police Department spokesman Sgt. Patrick Swanton said not all of the men are cooperating with the investigation.
However, police now know the event at Twin Peaks Sunday was a planned meeting of a coalition of several gangs. One gang that was not invited also showed up and a turf war ensued.
There were altercations both inside and outside of the restaurant. Evidence was collected from the restroom, dining room, bar area and parking lot, Swanton said.
Initial reports of a disagreement over a parking space have been verified. Swanton said someone's foot may have also been run over because of that.
Police knew about the meeting and expected violence. They reportedly asked the restaurant to cancel the event, but managers claim they never got that request.
There were 18 Waco officers outside watching for trouble. Swanton said the officers were not inside the restaurant because they were not welcomed by the management.
The bodies of the victims were brought to Dallas for autopsies. Investigators are still waiting on a full report to know if they were shot by responding officers or other gang members.
Of the 18 people who were injured, only 7 remain in the hospital. All are stable and improving.
Dozens of motorcycles still parked outside the restaurant were towed early Tuesday morning. Swanton said there are even more bikes and pickups that need processing.
Police remain on high alert after reported threats against uniformed officers. However, those threats have toned down over the past 24 hours, Swanton said.