In August 1992, a tense standoff at Ruby Ridge in Idaho erupted into tragedy after federal marshals attempted to arrest Randy Weaver on a minor firearms charge. Weaver and his wife Vicki had retreated years earlier to a remote mountain home, driven by apocalyptic religious beliefs and deep distrust of the federal government. After a firefight left their 14-year-old son Samuel and a deputy marshal dead, the situation escalated when the Federal Bureau of Investigation took control, believing it was entering an active war zone.

The following day, a sniper shot and wounded Randy Weaver as he moved near a shed where his son’s body lay. Moments later, a second shot killed Vicki Weaver as she stood in the cabin doorway holding her infant daughter. The family remained inside the cabin for nine days as the siege continued, intensifying national scrutiny over the government’s rules of engagement and conduct.

A new book, End of Days - Ruby Ridge, the Apocalypse, and the Unmaking of America, argues that the disaster was fueled not only by official missteps but also by the Weavers’ deeply rooted end-times theology and conspiracy-driven worldview. The author contends that such apocalyptic beliefs, far from isolated, have long shaped segments of American culture and continue to influence political and religious movements today.