Texas biker gangs' gunfight kills 9

Nine people were killed and 18 were injured on Sunday when a simmering feud among rival biker gangs boiled over at a sports bar in Waco, Texas, leading to a gun battle in the parking lot, police said.

The clash took place outside the Twin Peaks Sports Bar and Grill at a shopping mall in the central Texas city, police said. Eighteen people were taken to area hospitals with injuries that included gunshots and stab wounds, said Waco Police Sgt. Patrick Swanton.

The fight, which involved members of at least three gangs, erupted shortly after noon and quickly escalated into a brawl involving clubs, knives and chains, Swanton said. The fight may have been tied to a dispute over a parking spot, Swanton said.

When the bikers began shooting, officers moved in, some of them also firing their weapons. When the shooting ended, bodies were scattered across two parking lots.

"These are very dangerous, hostile biker gangs," Swanton told reporters. "A lot of innocent people could have been injured today."

There would likely have been more casualties, Swanton said, but police were on the scene when the fight erupted, anticipating "issues" with what he called "criminal" gangs.

All of the fatalities were bikers, and no officers were hurt.