Terror in the tower: 50th anniversary of mass shooting at University of Texas
- 8 years ago
AUSTIN, TEXAS — This Monday marks 50 years since sniper Charles Whitman opened fire from the University of Texas bell tower, killing 14 people and wounding 31 others.
As the tower clock ticked towards noon on August 1, 1966, the 25-year-old student and former U.S, Marine Corps sharpshooter began a devastating onslaught that would bring more than 90 minutes of terror to the campus and catch the Austin Police Department completely off-guard.
The massacre ended when police officers shot Whitman dead. Police found an arsenal of weapons in a storage chest next to Whitman, including three rifles, three pistols and a sawn-off shotgun. An autopsy revealed the shooter had a brain tumor, which may have impacted his ability to control his emotions.
At the time, the massacre was the worst mass shooting in U.S. history — an unwelcome record that stood until 1984.
Mass shootings have become a regular occurrence in the United States in the 50 years since the Texas tower shooting. Last year alone, there were 372 such incidents, of which 64 were on school campuses, according to the FBI.
August 1 sees a “concealed campus carry” law come into effect, allowing license holders to carry concealed handguns on public university campuses in Texas.
Fifty years on from Whitman’s deadly attack, the role of mental health in mass shootings remains an issue and the country appears unable to learn the lessons of its bloody past to provide a safe and secure environment for students.
As the tower clock ticked towards noon on August 1, 1966, the 25-year-old student and former U.S, Marine Corps sharpshooter began a devastating onslaught that would bring more than 90 minutes of terror to the campus and catch the Austin Police Department completely off-guard.
The massacre ended when police officers shot Whitman dead. Police found an arsenal of weapons in a storage chest next to Whitman, including three rifles, three pistols and a sawn-off shotgun. An autopsy revealed the shooter had a brain tumor, which may have impacted his ability to control his emotions.
At the time, the massacre was the worst mass shooting in U.S. history — an unwelcome record that stood until 1984.
Mass shootings have become a regular occurrence in the United States in the 50 years since the Texas tower shooting. Last year alone, there were 372 such incidents, of which 64 were on school campuses, according to the FBI.
August 1 sees a “concealed campus carry” law come into effect, allowing license holders to carry concealed handguns on public university campuses in Texas.
Fifty years on from Whitman’s deadly attack, the role of mental health in mass shootings remains an issue and the country appears unable to learn the lessons of its bloody past to provide a safe and secure environment for students.