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Charles Whitman & Texas Tower Shooting


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Be 50 years Monday since Charles Whitman opened up on University of Texas students and others from the UT tower.

USA Today has a story about the mass murder, there was a movie made about it also, been awhile.

Bill Helmer was actually at the shooting when it happened. He's told me a couple stories about the horrible event, even helped a victim get under cover at a dorm there, after being shot. I'll have to call him today get the refreshed version.

Just a piece of our American history .

 

OCM

 

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Adding to this, talked with Bill this morning. A guy right in front of him that was shot by Whitman, in the arm right outside the student center. Bill was yelling for someone to get him a handkerchief or something. The students around didn't/couldn't respond and the wounded guy gave his own handkerchief to Bill and Bill pulled him out of the range of fire and the paramedics showed up.

 

He said Whitman was hitting targets at 400 yards. One of the cops shot a 35 mm rifle right out of his hand .

 

Also it wasn't Martinez that shot Whitman, he pulled fire away from what he( Whitman) was doing and fired 6 shots but missed, guy behind him it him twice in the head and shoulder with a shotgun. Name was McCoy.

 

Locals were shooting back at him along with police officers- Texas boys were pulling deer rifles out from their trucks.

 

 

OCM

Edited by OCM
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Stooper,

Yes, among the people returning fire was a student ( I believe), with a DCM M1 carbine, who fired at Whitman from the upper level of the library.

Another person borrowed a Remington model 8 rifle from a police officer and accompanied the police to the tower. This man got off one shot and the rifled jammed.l

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