More than 170 people have been arrested following a shootout between rival motorcycle gangs in Waco, Texas, that left nine people dead and 18 others in the hospital.

Texas police say that the shooting occurred around noon on Sunday after two rival biker gang members got into a confrontation inside the bathroom at the Twin Peaks restaurant, reports CBS Dallas / Fort Worth. Their fight then moved to the restaurant's bar, where more people jumped in and began stabbing each other. Eventually the ruckus moved outside to the parking lot, where several people opened fire.

Police also opened fire outside; however, all of the dead and injured victims believed to be bikers.

"In my nearly 35 years of law enforcement experience, this is the most violent and gruesome scene that I have dealt with," Waco police Sgt. W. Patrick Swanton said, according to CNN.

By Monday morning, Swanton told CNN that the number of people who were taken to the McLellan County Jail on charges of engaging in organized crime was "in the 170s." However, some of the suspects might also be charged with capital murder, even though Swanton said the organized crime charge is "pretty serious."

"It doesn't get much more significant than that," he added.

Authorities said that they recovered more than 100 weapons at the crime scene.

Following the melee, Swanton said the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission shut down Twin Peaks for one week because there's "enough of a reason to believe that more violence would occur there, had they been allowed to remain open for the next seven-day period."

In addition, sections of the Central Texas Market Place were also closed on Monday as offcials continue to investigate.

Jay Patel, Operating Partner for the Waco Twin Peaks, released a statement Sunday evening, saying: "We are horrified by the criminal, violent acts that occurred outside of our Waco restaurant today. We share in the community's trauma," reports CBS affiliate KWTX.

Patel added that: "Our management team has had ongoing and positive communications with the police and we will continue to work with them as we all want to keep violent crime out of our businesses and community."

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