Remembering the UT Tower Shooting 59 Years Later

KXAN ^ | Nabil Remadna

[nickcarraway]

Friday marks 59 years since the tragic University of Texas Tower shooting.

On Aug. 1, 1966, a man by the name of Charles Whitman disguised himself as a janitor and carried bags of guns to the top of the UT Tower.

Whitman set up on the observation deck of the tower where he then opened fire on the people below.

“At approximately 11:53 a.m. on Aug. 1, 1966 I came within 4 feet of being shot by the tower sniper,” said Austinite Forrest Preece, who was a student during the shooting. “A gentleman standing that far to my right was actually killed. He took a fatal round.”

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Preece said he was eating on the drag and when they heard there was something going on outside they stepped outside. After they heard the shots fired in their direction they ran back inside for cover.

“There has not been a day in the ensuing 59 years I have not thought about it,” Preece said. “And on Aug. 1st it brings everything crashing back.”

Student project sheds light on forgotten moments of UT tower massacre Video taken during that fateful day shows students running in every direction for cover, and many were killed.

In all, 17 people were killed — and more than 30 injured by Whitman — who used multiple guns and fired off about 150 rounds.

On Friday, Preece and his wife Linda spent the day paying their respects to those who were killed by stopping by a few grave sites and the memorial on UT’s campus.

“It has made an impact on my life, and it’s one reason that I have been civically active and contributed everything I can to good causes around town. It’s because I felt like I was given a second chance at life that day,” Preece said.

The shooting ended at 1:24 p.m. when Whitman was ambushed and shot by police officers Ramiro Martinez and Houston McCoy.

[nickcarraway]

What do you think? There are definitely cases where a brain tumor in the wrong spot caused someone to do something they ordinarily wouldn’t do.

[logi_cal869]

I remember that movie, but I think that I saw in b/w with commercials.

I’d have never remembered the name of it. Thanks for posting!

[ImJustAnotherOkie]

Peter Bogdanovitch plays Boris Karloft’s assistant in the second half.

[logi_cal869]

I had to look up his character’s photo: I didn’t recognize him as having been in it until you commented. I only knew him from the Sopranos as an actor (Dr. Melfie’s shrink).

Targets rates 7.3 on IMDB. Impressive. I need to rent it; would be nice to see it without commercials and in color.

[ImJustAnotherOkie]

Like I said, the first half is excellent, the last half has too much drama but it’s still better than the crap they call movies now.

[logi_cal869]

I just can’t recall. Renting it tonight. Looking forward to it.

[Big Red Badger]

JFK,RFK and King.
Throw in ‘Nam and Manson it was
A Very Bad Time for All.

[Ronaldus Magnus]

"When Whitman began shooting, the Austin Police Department was ill-equipped for the situation. They mostly possessed only their service revolvers and shotguns, weapons that were useless when it came to long distances. If they did possess a rifle, it was because it was a personal weapon. The officers weren’t alone, though. Once bystanders realized what was going on, many ran to retrieve their own firearms and fired back at the tower. In a few instances, police officers drove people in their squad cars to purchase ammunition or to pick up rifles. Some people asked police what to do if they had a shot at the sniper. The police said that they should shoot to kill."

One could envision a completely analogous situation happening today, but with drones instead of rifles: a terrorist drone attack being countered by individually owned drones assisting law enforcement.