Other events sharing the date of fire at Mt. Carmel have been mentioned in discussions of the Waco siege . The April 20 , 1999 , Columbine High School massacre might have been timed to mark either an anniversary of the FBI 's assault at Waco or Adolf Hitler 's birthday . Some of the connections appear coincidental . Eight years prior to the Waco fire , the ATF and FBI raided another compound of a religious cult : The Covenant , the Sword , and the Arm of the Lord . Some ATF agents who were present at that raid were present at Waco . April 19 was also the date from the American Revolution 's opening battles ( " the shot heard round the world " )
Columbine High School massacre
Columbine High School massacre
Waco siege