39 years ago today: Charles Whitman kills 16 at Univ of Texas

[edbermac]

After stabbing his mother and wife the night before, the former Marine brought his guns and 700 rounds of ammo to the Univ of Texas tower in Austin and opened fire on the citizens below. His first shot was at 18 year old Claire Wilson who was eight months pregnant at the time. She survived but her baby did not; nor did the baby's father who was killed with the next shot.

For the next 90 minutes Whitman killed 14 and wounded over 30. His marine corp marksmanship came in to good use, hitting 2 people who were 450 yards from the tower.

Whitman was finally stopped by two Austin police officers Houston McCoy and Ramiro Martinez.

In 2001 one David Gunby died from kidney complications after being shot in his one remaining good kidney on that day in 1966. The coroner listed his death as a homicide.

Whitman had left typed letters before his rampage expressing rage against his father for his abusive behavior towards himself and his mother and wanted to shame him for his actions.

One of the original freepers to run amok...

[WI_DEM]

1. I remember that movie with Kurt Russell

from the mid 70's--pretty scary.

[proud patriot]

4. Yes that's what I remember too

I was a kid when that came on T.V.

[livetohike]

2. I remember when this happened and it was on the news

I think it was one of the first mass murders of recent times.

[mike_c]

6. I do too....

eom

[charlie]

8. Me too

Back when a Richard Speck, Charles Whitman, Albert DeSalvo, or Kitty Genovese's sad story could shock the daylights out of the nation.

[NickB79]

3. Didn't he have a brain tumor though?

Kind of hard to call him a freeper when his behavior was not in his control.

[Enraged_Ape]

10. Indeed, he did

In fact, in his last "suicide note", he requested that doctors perform an autopsy on his brain because he was afraid he might have one.

[XanaDUer]

13. Yes, he did.

nt.

[Bridget Burke]

11. "There was a rumor about a tumor nestled at the base of his brain"

In the immortal words of Kinky Friedman.

The autopsy did find a brain tumor, but nobody's sure that was the cause. (I've known people with that horrid diagnosis & they didn't start killing people.)

An old roommate planned to attend UT. Whitman climbed the tower the same day her Dad took her for a campus visit. So she was sent to the University of Houston.

[jburton]

12. "Didn't want to be an architect no more"

nt

[madrchsod]

5. dam i am getting old

i remember that day.......

[Retired AF Dem]

7. Me to

Rotten shit to have to happen on my 10th birthday.

[Tikki]

9. I guess we all have a story around this event.....Mine was that....

...my mother had just married this guy and he wanted to take us (she and I) on a vacation through Texas to meet his family.

...As we were driving along... I kept hearing all that shooting (bang, bang, pop, pop) on the radio. I thought: this guy is taking me to Texas to get killed...

Tikki