Our hearts go out to all of the people affected by the Virginia Tech massacre. Austin, Texas shares the pain and we know the healing process will be difficult. The horrific events in Blacksburg, Virginia will be emblazoned in our minds forever, just as the events of the University of Texas are – 41 years later. Our memories are full of the same questions: Why? What makes somebody do something this violent? How will people heal? Please know that the community of Austin and the world is with you in our thoughts and prayers. As we struggle to cope with your loss, we reflect on the1966 tragedy in Austin that will weld our cities’ emotions together throughout time. In an exclusive Associated Content interview, Rob, a UT engineering student in 1966, recalls his memories of that fateful day.
The sun had not yet risen on August 1, 1966, when Charles Joseph Whitman killed his mother in her apartment and his wife at their home. Whitman proceeded to the University of Texas (UT) campus in Austin, Texas, armed with a variety of ammunition and a shotgun, six guns, knives, food, and water packed in a footlocker. After clubbing a receptionist who later died, Whitman climbed the stairs to the observation deck of the UT tower. During the climb, he killed two people and wounded two others who were coming up the stairs from the twenty-seventh floor. At around 11:45 a.m., from 231 feet up, Whitman open fired on persons crossing nearby streets, killing ten more people and wounding thirty-one more, one who later died. Police Officers Ramiro Martinez and Houston McCoy shot and killed Whitman at around 1:24 p.m. In all, seventeen people died, including Whitman, and thirty-one were wounded. Like the shootings at Virginia Tech on April 16, 2007, the Whitman massacre, at that time, was one of the worst school campus mass murders in modern United States history.
Aly: Where were you when you first learned that there was a shooter on the UT campus?
Rob: I was in the Faculty Dining Room, which is in the Student Center on Guadalupe Street. My girlfriend, Rita, was in the Engineering Science building.
Aly: What did school officials do to secure the campus and keep others safe?
Rob: Don’t know what official actions were taken, but the noise of the gunshots quickly made most within hearing distance aware that something bad was happening. TV’s were tuned to the broadcasts of the local TV channel covering the incident. KTBC (now KLBJ) was on the scene pretty quickly so we had a pretty good idea of what was happening just watching the TV set.
Aly: Could you hear Whitman’s shots being fired?
Rob: Yes, both Whitman’s and the returning fire for local authorities. Rita also heard the shots and saw the smoke/dust from the bullets being fired from/to the tower.
Aly: Did you try to escape from the campus?
Rob: No
Aly: Did you see people on the streets during the shootings? Describe the scene as people tried to take cover.
Rob: I was with a group of graduate students walking on campus minutes before the shooting. We walked north of the tower from the Engineering Science building on the East side of the tower to the Student Center on the West side of the tower. The group was having lunch when we heard the first shots; it reminded me of a bull whip being cracked. I walked to the window facing Guadalupe Street and saw people lying on the ground, having been hit. At that point all realized that the sounds were shots. Some people (none of our group) on the street courageously put themselves in danger to try to help those that were down.
Aly: Describe your emotions and fears as you waited for Whitman to be captured.
Rob: I felt safe in the Student Center. People were peeping through windows in the Student Center toward the tower trying to get a glimpse of the shooter. At one point, Whitman saw a “peeper” and fired at him. The bullet nearly missed but ricocheted off of the stone window frame and struck another student in the arm. Those in the immediate area became very cautious after this happened.
Aly: It is reported that from 1963-1965, Charles Whitman was an engineering student at UT. Did you know him or know about him?
Rob: No
Aly: Did you know any of the people that were wounded or killed by Whitman?
Rob: I did not know any personally.
Aly: How did you feel when word came that Whitman had been shot and killed by police?
Rob: I was relieved that no one else would be hurt or killed.
Aly: How did UT officials communicate to others on the campus that it was safe to leave?
Rob: I learned about it from the TV station and the fact that the gunshots had stopped.
Aly: Describe the mood and actions of people on the campus after Whitman was killed?
Rob: I noticed that many people moved toward the tower to learn more of what happened. Many watched as the bodies were removed from the tower. Most of those hurt on the campus were quickly moved to medical facilities. People were struggling with what had just happened; trying to understand why. Also, another memory that we had was a TV reporter was on the air and another person was reading the names of people that had been shot. Paul Bolton was the name of the TV reporter, and suddenly he asked the guy to hold up a minute. The man reading the names had just read the name of Paul Bolton’s grandson. That was a pretty intense and emotional moment.
Aly: What events did the University of Texas hold to begin the healing process of that tragic day?
Rob: Other than the normal expressions of sorrow for the families and memorial services, I do not recall other actions.
Aly: Describe the nation’s and the world’s reaction and response to the Whitman massacre.
Rob: The response was similar to that of Columbine and Virginia Tech.
Aly: How did the citizens of Austin respond to the tragedy?
Rob: Sorrow and grief.
Aly: How did the Whitman massacre affect the University of Texas and community of Austin in later years?
Rob: Those on campus at the time probably always think of the shooting when returning to the campus and seeing the tower. The tower was closed for years. When it was reopened, bullet marks in the stone perimeter behind which Whitman hid were very visible.
To those who lost loved ones, were injured, or survived the horror in Austin that day: we will never forget.
Aly Adair, Content Producer
Associated Content
