WACO, Texas (AP) - A deadly weekend shootout involving rival motorcycle gangs apparently began with a parking dispute and someone running over a gang member's foot, police said Tuesday.
Waco police Sgt. W. Patrick Swanton said an uninvited group appeared for the meeting of a loose confederation of biker gangs Sunday at a restaurant.
One man was injured when a vehicle rolled over his foot. That caused a dispute that continued inside the restaurant, where fighting and then shooting began, before the melee spilled back outside, Swanton said.
Authorities offered few details. It was not clear which gang was responsible for running over the biker's foot, or which gang the aggrieved biker belonged to.
When the shootout was over, nine people were dead and 18 wounded.
About 50 weapons were confiscated, mostly knives and firearms, and Swanton said more than 100 weapons may be found once authorities are done analyzing the crime scene at the Twin Peaks restaurant, which is part of a national chain .
Preliminary autopsy results showed all nine of the dead were killed by gunshots. Many were hit in the head, neck, chest or torso. Most of the men were in their 40s, but they ranged in age from 27 to 65, according to reports released by a McLennan County justice of the peace.
Police have acknowledged firing on armed bikers, but it was unclear how many of the dead were shot by gang members and how many were shot by officers.
Of the injured, seven remain hospitalized. Swanton, who has been virtually the sole source of law enforcement information on the fight, described their conditions as stable.
He said the investigation is being hampered by witnesses who "are not being honest with us."
Police are concerned that the brawl will invite retaliation and more violence, Swanton said.
"We would encourage them to try to be a little peaceful and let the bloodshed stop," he said.
Authorities warned weeks ago of growing animosity between rival motorcycle gangs, a feud that erupted into violence at the restaurant, which had drawn a large lunchtime crowd to a busy Waco shopping complex along Interstate 35.
In a memo dated May 1, the Texas Department of Public Safety cautioned authorities about increasing violence between the Bandidos and the Cossacks, Dallas TV station WFAA reported Monday.
McLennan County Sheriff Parnell McNamara has said all nine of those killed were part of those two groups. About 170 bikers have been charged with engaging in organized crime. Swanton said more arrests are likely.
McLennan County Justice of the Peace W.H. Peterson set bond at $1 million for each suspect. He defended the high amount, citing the violence quickly unfolded in a shopping market busy with a lunchtime crowd.
The DPS Joint Information Center bulletin said the tension could stem from Cossacks refusing to pay Bandidos dues for operating in Texas and for wearing a patch on their vest that claimed Texas as their turf without the Bandidos' approval.
"Traditionally, the Bandidos have been the dominant motorcycle club in Texas, and no other club is allowed to wear the Texas bar without their consent," the bulletin said, according to WFAA.
The bulletin said the FBI had received information the Bandidos had discussed "going to war with Cossacks."