He killed 13 people and wounded more than 30 others before authorities gunned him down. 1, 1966, when architectural engineering student and Marine-trained sniper Charles Whitman climbed to the observation deck of the 27-story clock tower in the heart of UT’s flagship Austin campus, armed with rifles, pistols and a sawed-off shotgun. It was shortly before noon on a sweltering Monday morning, Aug. An anonymous buyer purchased the weapon and donated it to the Crime Museum in Washington DC where it is still on display.AUSTIN, Texas (AP) - Before Virginia Tech and Columbine, Sandy Hook, Aurora and Orlando, there was the University of Texas tower shooting. While the buyer and the winning bid has never been made public, the starting bid was $25,000. Whitman’s Remington rifle was put up for auction in 2014. The tumor, a gliobastoma, had been pressing on the part of his brain which controlled emotional patterns. The autopsy performed on Whitman found he had a brain tumor. Houston McCoy, the Austin cop who helped in stopping Whitman died in December 2012. His kidney destroyed Gunby has been on dialysis the rest of his life. David Gunby was shot by Whitman in the lower back. Whitman’s final victim wouldn’t die until 2001. The massacre spurred the creating of SWAT in the country. The shootings pulled in international attention, and the United Press International ranked the shootings as the second most important story of 1966 - the Vietnam War was #1. Whitman introduced the country to the idea of mass murder in a public place. With Whitman in the midst of a 96-minute killing spree, witnesses and victims and potential targets crouched behind trees, hid under desks and took cover in stairwells. All six missed and as Whitman moved forward, police officer Houston McCoy shifted to the right, fired two shots of 100-buckshot and killed Whitman - hitting the murderer in the head, neck and left side.Īfter an autopsy, Whitman was buried on August 5 in Florida’s Hillcrest Memorial Park. The shooting continued until the afternoon.Īs Whitman sat with his back against the north wall, A police officer, Ramiro Martinez fired six shots from his 38 police revolver from 50 feet. His brother, hit with shots to the head and neck, recoiled down the stairs and landed at the feet of his family. Whitman fired, and the 16-year old went down - dead. At 11 am, he started the drive to the tower.Īfter Whitman barricaded the observation town, two brothers, one 16, the other 18, tried to move past. Packing food, coffee earplugs, water lighter fluid robe, a machete, three knives and toilet paper, Whitman stepped into khaki coveralls. Whitman modified some of the weapons and sawed off the barrel of the 12-guague. Whitman’s next stop was Sears where he bought a 12 gauge semi-automatic shotgun. Instead, he drove to Chuck’s Gun Shop and bought four more carbine magazines, six boxes of ammo and gun cleaning solvent. Buying a Universal M1 carbine and two additional ammo magazines with eight boxes of ammo, Whitman told the cashier that he was going out to hunt wild hogs. Very early on the morning of August 1, 1966, Whitman murdered his wife and mother. ![]() When the sun went down, Whitman had shot 49 - and killed 16. Increasing in frequency, mass shootings have seared the conscience of America and have almost become “business as usual”.Ĭharles Whitman was studying engineering at the University of Texas when he went into the school’s iconic tower and started shooting. ![]() With the latest mass shooting in Orlando, the country - and Congress - have been slower to act. President Lyndon Johnson signed the Gun Control Act of 1968 which would compel the licensing of firearms dealers. Within months of the rifle’s last echo, discussions of suggested legislation, begun following John Kennedy’s assassination, began to move ahead again. The shooting shook the nation’s conscience. If not, criminal justice attorney Nick Wooldridge reminds. Conspiracy to Violate Uniform Controlled Substances ActĬharles Whit man and America’s First Mass ShootingĪnyone who was born before 1955 can remember America’s first mass shooting.Battery by Strangulation Constituting Domestic Violence. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |