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Bikers, others flee gunfire in Waco restaurant video

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AP Waco
Last Updated : May 21 2015 | 9:28 PM IST
When gunfire erupted outside a Texas restaurant, most of the leather-clad motorcycle riders watching the confrontation immediately ran away from the shooting. A few tried to direct people inside, crawling on all fours heading for safety.
One biker ran away with blood on his face, hands and torso. A woman could be heard screaming, "Oh my God!" Others yelled, "Get down!"
According to restaurant security video shown to The Associated Press exclusively, only one of the dozens of bikers was seen firing a gun from the patio of the Twin Peaks restaurant where nine people were killed on Sunday.
Many of the bikers on tape are likely to have been arrested by Waco police, who rounded up about 170 people, charged them with felony engaging in organized criminal activity and set their bonds at USD 1 million.
Police spokesman Sgt. W. Patrick Swanton declined to comment about the video Wednesday. Swanton has said the people arrested were members of biker gangs with criminal elements that have been monitored by local authorities for months.
"They were not here to drink and eat barbecue," Swanton said earlier this week. "They came here with violence in mind."

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The video shows bikers on the restaurant patio, ducking under tables and trying to get inside. At least three people were holding handguns.
Before the shooting, the inside of the restaurant appears to be mostly empty. Bikers and other patrons can be seen walking to the windows facing the parking lot, where most of the shooting happened, when the confrontation was apparently underway.
When gunshots start at 12:24 p.M. On the video, most bikers, other patrons and staff immediately run away from the windows and into the restaurant's interior.
One camera angle shows bikers running into the men's bathroom. When there's no space left in the bathroom, they dash toward the kitchen.
The AP was shown the video Wednesday by representatives of the Twin Peaks franchise, who have said the fighting began outside the restaurant, not inside as police have said. The franchise has not released the video publicly, citing the ongoing investigation.
None of the nine video angles shows the parking lot.
Video shows police with assault rifles entering the door about two minutes after the shooting begins. As two officers enter, bikers can be seen lying on the floor with their hands spread.

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First Published: May 21 2015 | 9:28 PM IST

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