Daniel Boyett was killed in a shootout involving rival motorcycle clubs and police in Waco, Texas. (Facebook)
A 44-year-old Texas man has been identified as one of nine men killed Sunday during a shootout involving rival motorcycle clubs and police in Waco.
Daniel Raymond Boyett, of Waco, died of gunshot wounds to the head.
Preliminary autopsy results for the nine men killed in the Waco, Texas biker gang shootout have been released, along with the victims’ names, KWTX reports.
The shooting on Sunday, May 17 involved mainly two biker gangs, the Bandidos and the Cossacks, along with other smaller clubs that were at the Twin Peaks restaurant for a meeting.
Police have arrested more than 170 suspects, charging them all with engaging in organized criminal activity. They have been held on $1 million bail.
Here’s what you need to know about Boyett and the shooting:
1. Boyett Was a Member of the Cossacks Motorcycle Club
Daniel Boyett with his wife. (Facebook)
According to his Facebook page, Boyett was a member of the Cossacks Motorcycle Club. He appears to have joined the club around 2013.
2. He Was a Regional Road Captain for the Club
Daniel Boyett. (Facebook)
Boyett was a regional road captain for the Cossacks, photos show. In motorcycle clubs, the road captain typically organizes rides or runs that the group takes together. He is responsible for the safety of the group and often acts as a club executive, deferring only to the president or vice president, during a run.
The road captain plans routes, sets the itinerary for trips, enforces club rules and leads the formation.
3. The Cossacks Are a Texas-Based Club Founded in 1969
Daniel Boyett, right, with his wife and Cody Ledbetter, another member of the Cossacks.
The Cossacks were founded in Texas in 1969, according to the book The One Percenter Encyclopedia: The World of Outlaw Motorcycle Clubs.
The club’s colors are gold and black and its patch features a cossack, which is a nomadic horseman and warrior. Its motto is, “We take care of our own.”
The Cossacks say they traded the horses rode by the warriors of 400 years ago for motorcycles, though they doubt any of their members descended from actual Russian cossacks. The club started on Carlyle Street in Tyler, Texas. Its first president was Earl Swift.
The Cossacks are a Harley-Davidson-only club.
4. The Shooting Remains Under Investigation
The scene of a shootout in Waco, Texas at the Twin Peaks restaurant that left 9 dead and 18 wounded. (Getty)
The investigation into the shooting is continuing. What started as an argument between bikers turned deadly as shooting broke out. Police were already in the area after learning of the potential for violence during the biker meeting and responded within seconds. Officers also opened fire, and according to CNN, at least four of the victims were killed by police.
Police have yet to determine who fired the fatal shoots that killed each of the nine men.
5. 8 Other Men From the 2 Clubs Were Killed in the Shooting
(Getty)
According to KWTX, the names of the victims, along with the causes of their deaths, are:
- Wayne Lee Campbell – 43 – Gunshot wounds to the head and trunk.
- Jesus Delgado Rodriguez – 65 – Gunshot wounds to the head and trunk.
- Jacob Lee Rhyne – 39 – Gunshot wounds to the neck.
- Richard Vincent Kirschner, Jr. – 47 – Unspecified gunshot wounds.
- Richard Matthew Jordan, III – 31 – Gunshot wounds to the head.
- Matthew Mark Smith – 27 – Gunshot wounds to the trunk.
- Manuel Issac Rodriguez – 40 – Unspecified gunshot wounds.
- Charles Wayne Russell – 46- Gunshot wounds to the chest.