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The UT Tower Tragedy That Shook America | San Antonio News
Description
On August 1, 1966, Charles Whitman climbed the UT Tower in Austin, Texas, and unleashed a 96-minute massacre that killed 16 people and wounded 31—making it one of America’s first televised mass shootings. A former Marine and UT student, Whitman had already murdered his wife and mother before firing indiscriminately from the observation deck, turning a routine day into national horror. While debates rage over whether his actions were the result of personal torment or cold calculation, the event remains a pivotal moment in American history, shaping how society views gun violence, mental health, and public safety. Decades later, it still echoes as a chilling reminder of how quickly peace can shatter—and how deeply trauma lingers.
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