August 1, 1966 at 11:48 am, shots began ringing out on the University of Texas campus in Austin. For a harrowing 96 minutes, officers and civilians alike attempted to offer assistance to those who had been hit, hide behind large objects, and figure out the best course of action to end the chaos that had unfolded. Victims: Margaret Whitman, Kathleen Whitman, Edna Townsley, Marguerite Lamport, Mark Gabour, Baby Boy Wilson, Thomas Eckman, Robert Hamilton Boyer, Thomas Karr, Billy Paul Speed, Harry Walchuk, Paul Bolton Sonntag, Claudia Rutt, Roy Dell Schmidt, Karen Griffith, David Hubert Gunby Join us on Patreon! Sources: Extra! Extra! Eyes of the World on Texas - UT Sniper - Lobby Exhibit, accessed July 19, 2025, https://www.tsl.texas.gov/lobbyexhibits/extraextra/utsniper “The Eyes of the World Are Upon You, Texas”: How the Austin Newspapers Covered the UT Tower Shooting, accessed July 19, 2025, http://behindthetower.org/how-austin-newspapers-covered-the-shooting Aug. 1, 1966: When No One Knew What A Mass Shooting Felt Like | Texas Standard, accessed July 19, 2025, https://www.texasstandard.org/stories/when-no-one-knew-what-a-mass-shooting-felt-like/ The University of Texas Tower Shooting: A Tragic Day in History, accessed July 19, 2025, https://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/entries/university-of-texas-tower-shooting-1966 Whitman, Charles Joseph - Texas State Historical Association, accessed July 19, 2025, https://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/entries/whitman-charles-joseph Texas Tower shooting of 1966 | Background, Chronology, Map, & Interview | Britannica, accessed July 19, 2025, https://www.britannica.com/event/Texas-Tower-shooting-of-1966 University of Texas tower shooting - Wikipedia, accessed July 19, 2025, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/University_of_Texas_tower_shooting Texas Governor's Fact-Finding Committee Report on the Charles J ..., accessed July 19, 2025, https://txarchives.org/tslac/finding_aids/50095.xml The Victims - Behind the Tower, accessed July 19, 2025, http://behindthetower.org/the-victims/ 'Tower' Pays Tribute To A 1966 Campus Shooting That Was 'Pushed Aside' | KCUR - Kansas City news and NPR, accessed July 19, 2025, https://www.kcur.org/2017-02-09/tower-pays-tribute-to-a-1966-campus-shooting-that-was-pushed-aside Claire Wilson James | Out Of The Blue, accessed July 19, 2025, https://towerhistory.org/profiles/claire-wilson-james/ UT Tower Shooting: The Survivors' Stories - Spectrum News, accessed July 19, 2025,
August 1, 1966 at 11:48 am, shots began ringing out on the University of Texas campus in Austin. For a harrowing 96 minutes, officers and civilians alike attempted to offer assistance to those who had been hit, hide behind large objects, and figure out the best course of action to end the chaos that had unfolded. Victims: Margaret Whitman, Kathleen Whitman, Edna Townsley, Marguerite Lamport, Mark Gabour, Baby Boy Wilson, Thomas Eckman, Robert Hamilton Boyer, Thomas Karr, Billy Paul Speed, Harry...