Waco Biker Rally Cut Short

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WACO (AP) - A biker rally at the county courthouse in Waco to remember those killed in a May shootout ended early when officers saw a suspicious cooler and suitcase that turned out to contain nothing threatening.

About 75 bikers outside the McClennan County Courthouse dispersed Saturday when a sheriff's deputy spotted the items near the crowd. A bomb squad deployed a robot to investigate the contents, but found no hazardous materials.

Nine people were killed and twice as many injured May 17 in what authorities say was a confrontation between two rival motorcycle gangs.

Rally participant Rhonda Elder told the Associated Press that organizers finished reading the names of 177 people arrested following the shootings when authorities ordered people to leave.

The rally continued at the restaurant site where the shootings happened.

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