Rival biker gangs shoot it out leaving 9 dead and 18 injured

A shootout among rival motorcycle gangs at a restaurant in Waco, Texas, left nine bikers dead and 18 injured, and sent patrons and bystanders fleeing for safety, a police spokesman said on Sunday.

The violence erupted shortly after noon at the Twin Peaks restaurant on Interstate 35. Waco police Sergeant W. Patrick Swanton said eight people died at the scene of the shooting and another person died at a hospital.

The nine killed were all members of biker gangs, as were the 18 people who were taken to hospitals with injuries that included stab and gunshot wounds.