50 years ago, Topekan saw world in black and white after Texas Tower shootings

[TomSea]

50 years ago, August 1st, 1966. Lengthy article.

50 years ago, Topekan saw world in black and white after Texas Tower shootings

Survivor was walking to lunch when shootings began, killing 16 and wounding 32

For a few days, Jim McHenry saw the world in black and white after surviving one of the first mass killings in U.S. history, on Aug. 1, 1966.

McHenry didn’t see colors as his mind struggled to comprehend all the red blood he saw when a sniper killed 16 people and wounded dozens more on the University of Texas campus in Austin, Texas. Tuesday is the 50th anniversary of the Texas Tower shootings.

Now 72, McHenry, of Topeka, talked about the impact the bloody attack still has on him, including the nightmares he suffers because of the recent mass shootings in Orlando, Fla., and Dallas.

The Texas Tower attack

On Aug. 1, 1966, McHenry was a 22-year-old Peace Corps trainee on the Austin campus and had just finished a Turkish language class. He was undergoing an intensive three-month course to speak Turkish. He planned to teach Turks to teach English during his Peace Corps stint in that country. Earlier that year, he had graduated from the College of Wooster, in Wooster, Ohio, with a history degree.

En route to a cafeteria to get some lunch, McHenry stepped out of a college building into the staggering Texas heat when he heard a loud explosion.

“Everyone stopped,” McHenry said.

A man ran down the street yelling, “Take cover! There’s a sniper in the tower!” McHenry said.

McHenry shielded himself behind the trunk of an oak tree, which didn’t quite cover all of him. Hearing an “incredible barrage” from the tower, McHenry thought at least two or three gunmen were firing.

Read More: http://cjonline.com/news/2016-07-31/50-years-ago-topekan-saw-world-black-and-white-after-texas-tower-shootings#

A number of articles on this; this was not the first mass killing but perhaps it's close to being the first lone gunman type of killing spree.

[IsailedawayfromFR]

Charles Whitman was an expert marksman who was able to shoot people more than a block away from top of a 30 story building.

I was in high school and a neighbor of Whitman's.  He lived under one of the moonlight towers along South First.  One guy in my high school was shot in the leg two blocks away while he was riding his bicycle delivering papers.

The UT tower had the best view of Austin and was open to the public.  It was closed for decades afterwards.

The Austin policeman who emptied his revolver into Whitman to stop the rampage was a real hero in Austin.

I believe it ended the idylic lifestyle of a simple time for that city and afterwards was never the same.

[The_Reader_David]

One of the interesting things about the UT Tower shootings was that they would have been even worse had faculty members not returned fire from their offices.  Back in those days, at least in Texas, university faculty were not hoplophoic and some kept their hunting rifles and ammunition in their offices.  The heroic cop might not have made it to the Tower without the covering fire from faculty offices.

Something to remember now that so many academics in the heartland are getting vapors about "campus carry" laws.

[goatprairie]

Charles Whitman was an expert marksman who was able to shoot people more than a block away from top of a 30 story building.

I was in high school and a neighbor of Whitman's.  He lived under one of the moonlight towers along South First.  One guy in my high school was shot in the leg two blocks away while he was riding his bicycle delivering papers.

The UT tower had the best view of Austin and was open to the public.  It was closed for decades afterwards.

The Austin policeman who emptied his revolver into Whitman to stop the rampage was a real hero in Austin.

I believe it ended the idylic lifestyle of a simple time for that city and afterwards was never the same.

Officer Ramiro Martinez was the first cop to openly confront Whitman on the tower, and he did empty his revolver at Whitman. But none of his bullets his Whitman.  Another officer Houston McCoy who  had turned the NE corner with Martinez to confront Whitman, jumped to the right of Martinez as he, Martinez,  was shooting at Whitman. McCoy had a 12 gauge shotgun loaded with 00 buckshot. As Martinez was emptying his revolver, McCoy fired his shotgun at Whitman hitting him twice in the upper body and face and killing him. Both officers were heroes, but McCoy's shotgun was the weapon that actually killed Whitman.

[ConstitutionRose]

One of the interesting things about the UT Tower shootings was that they would have been even worse had faculty members not returned fire from their offices.  Back in those days, at least in Texas, university faculty were not hoplophoic and some kept their hunting rifles and ammunition in their offices.  The heroic cop might not have made it to the Tower without the covering fire from faculty offices.

Something to remember now that so many academics in the heartland are getting vapors about "campus carry" laws.

My uncle was a professor in the math department at that time.  He has also told me about facility returning fire and helping the wounded, helping people to cover.  I thought everyone in Texas, Arkansas and Oklahoma knew how to shoot.  At least when I was growing up that was so.  People kept there guns handy without it being a big deal.

[IsailedawayfromFR]

Officer Ramiro Martinez was the first cop to openly confront Whitman on the tower, and he did empty his revolver at Whitman. But none of his bullets his Whitman.  Another officer Houston McCoy who  had turned the NE corner with Martinez to confront Whitman, jumped to the right of Martinez as he, Martinez,  was shooting at Whitman. McCoy had a 12 gauge shotgun loaded with 00 buckshot. As Martinez was emptying his revolver, McCoy fired his shotgun at Whitman hitting him twice in the upper body and face and killing him. Both officers were heroes, but McCoy's shotgun was the weapon that actually killed Whitman.

I have read that narrative as well.  Martinez has kept the legend of being the hero that day to this day.
I also have read the two disagree on who killed Whitman.

What is important in this is that the police ended further murders and that Whitman faced his jury and sentenced without undue burden upon taxpayers.