In the spirit of "50 Years Ago Today" this is a news item that harkens back to those little snippets in ADQ about random road violence, harbingers of the endless chaos and anarchy we were certain was waiting just around the corner. If you would have told a Car Wars player in the 80's about a multi-sided fight between rival biker gangs as well as police, they would probably assume that was a daily occurrence by 2015. Granted, it's been a year since this well-known incident took place, I think the largest biker gang fight in history certainly deserves a mention in the Car Wars timeline.
Waco biker shoot-out: 170 face charges in Texas
Texas police say 170 people are to face organised crime charges after a bike-gang shooting that left nine people dead and 18 others injured.
The feud broke out between several gangs at a shopping district in Waco.
What started as a fist fight soon descended into a battle with knives, clubs, chains and eventually guns.
One witness described the scene as "a war zone", while a Waco policeman called it the most gruesome scene he had encountered in his career.
The number of those charged was revised down from 192, a figure police announced early on Monday.
The incident happened shortly after midday on Sunday at the Twin Peaks Sports Bar and Grill in a shopping area called the Central Texas Market Place.
Authorities investigate a shooting in the parking lot of the Twin Peaks restaurant on 17 May in Waco, Texas.
Up to five rival gangs got into a fight, apparently over parking space near the restaurant. Diners and staff at the nearby cafe managed to lock themselves in a freezer room for safety and were later escorted off the premises by armed police.
"Twenty-five feet away there were families," Waco police sergeant Patrick Swanton said.
"This is one of the worst gunfights we've ever had in the city limits. They started shooting at our officers."
Twin Peaks' management said on Monday it would close the Waco restaurant.
The restaurant's corporate parent cut ties with the Waco location on Monday.
Rick van Warner, a spokesman for the company, said managers of the branch "chose to ignore the warnings and advice from both the police and our company, and did not uphold the high security standards we have in place to ensure everyone is safe at our restaurants."
The authorities have increased security in the area to prevent further outbreaks of violence, as there are fears some of the gang members might return.
Police are to conduct tests on more than 100 cars or bikes found at the scene.
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-32783541