August 1 2022 marks 56 years since the University of Texas Tower shooting. The tragedy was a shock to the nation and continues to affect Austin and countless other cities across the world. On this day, August 1, 2022, we remember those who lost their lives that day in Austin. In the days since, many people have vowed to stop campus shootings. In the meantime, we continue to learn more about the events surrounding this shooting.
The University of Texas Tower will be dark on August 1 as part of a day of remembrance to honor the victims of the campus shooting over half a century ago. The campus community will remember the victims by honoring their memories and paying respects by attending a ceremony dedicated to the victims.
In a shocking act of mass violence, UT student Charles Whitman climbed a university tower and began firing on the campus below. This attack was a first for a university and changed the way people felt about college safety. Whitman’s gunfire had no victims and the students in the building were armed and prone to self-defense. His story has become famous for proding the idea of mass murder in public places. This act was the precursor to events such as 9/ 11, Oklahoma City bombing, and Columbine. Whitman also introduced the idea of “going postal” and random killings.
The Texas Tower shooting has been deemed one of the deadliest mass killings in American history. The Texas Tower shooting was one of the first mass murder in the nation, although some academics argue that dozens of similar mass shootings had occurred before Whitman’s rampage. The Texas Tower shooting was instantly covered by reporters. The attack killed 16 people including an unborn child, and injured 31 others in the span of 96 minutes
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