the Seniors of ECCIE.. do you remember the UT Tower shooting from 50 years ago?

Chung Tran's Avatar
http://abcnews.go.com/US/university-...ry?id=41043618

who would have thought mass shootings would be something other than rare in 2016?
Check out this NPR audio regarding The Austin Texas Tower shooting

https://www.texastribune.org/2016/07...hooting-audio/
CG2014's Avatar
Now you can carry concealed on College campuses.
Gnostalgia's Avatar
http://abcnews.go.com/US/university-...ry?id=41043618

who would have thought mass shootings would be something other than rare in 2016? Originally Posted by Chung Tran
Yes, watched it LIVE.
Talk about irony...the first day of concealed carry on campuses on the 50th anniversary of the shooting.

I don't remember the media covering it then the way they do now, 24/7. It was so stunning it was almost like everyone wanted to quickly forget it, sweep it under the rug.
Chung Tran's Avatar
Yes, watched it LIVE. Originally Posted by Gnostalgia
cool.. what were you thinking at the time? did you know Whitman was shooting anything in sight? how long did you watch?
Now you can carry concealed on College campuses. Originally Posted by CG2014
This is awesome.
Gnostalgia's Avatar
cool.. what were you thinking at the time? did you know Whitman was shooting anything in sight? how long did you watch? Originally Posted by Chung Tran
What i recall may not be accurate. But my recollection is cops trying to pull shot but not dead victims to cover. and the constant pop pop of the rifle. the camera played over the shooters location tho there never was a clear picture. then we saw troopers preparing an assault on his position. next thing they killed him. then began a count of the fallen.
Chung Tran's Avatar
What i recall may not be accurate. But my recollection is cops trying to pull shot but not dead victims to cover. and the constant pop pop of the rifle. the camera played over the shooters location tho there never was a clear picture. then we saw troopers preparing an assault on his position. next thing they killed him. then began a count of the fallen. Originally Posted by Gnostalgia
thanks for the recollection.. I remember there was a movie (made for TV?) about this, I saw it many years ago.. I should look it up to see if it's on DVD or Blu Ray!
CG2014's Avatar
thanks for the recollection.. I remember there was a movie (made for TV?) about this, I saw it many years ago.. I should look it up to see if it's on DVD or Blu Ray! Originally Posted by Chung Tran
The Deadly Tower, 1975, with Kurt Russell, made for TV, not totally accurate.

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x2l3zla

The copyright on it has expired and it's now public domain.

NO!

It's not on Warner Bros Archive collection DVD, it was pulled after it was released in 2010 and it maybe due to the following:

The writers of this film took many liberties with the real thing and a few people involved sued over their portrayals in the film.

Houston McCoy was given official credit for killing Whitman. Since the movie ignored his character (aside from depicting a cowardly officer who doesn't shoot), he sued.

Ramiro Martinez sued on separate grounds, that he was depicted in a "racist" manner.

McCoy and Martinez were the 2 Officers who charged up to the tower together and they took out Whitman.

By the way, Ramirez left Austin PD and joined DPS and he became a Texas Ranger.

When he retired from DPS, he became a Justice of the Peace.

You can say he had a stellar and illustrious career.
Poppa_Viagra's Avatar
I was in San Antonio at the time.
Youtooob has several documentaries, https://youtu.be/OON81IJ9yos .
The cops who took Charles Whitman out had massive supporting fire from the ground, every redneck in Austin was in the quad area shooting back. Look at some of the videos, it's wild.
Kinky Friedman immortalized Charles Whitman in song, https://youtu.be/rlBuoBV-Sa0
Takeaway then as now, we don't care for our mentally ill.
Poppa_Viagra's Avatar
A lone nut is not the same mad dog as a single operator supported with money, equipment, planning and motivation by an organization (like, you know, ISIS).
Chung Tran's Avatar
The cops who took Charles Whitman out had massive supporting fire from the ground, every redneck in Austin was in the quad area shooting back. Originally Posted by Poppa_Viagra
that is awesome! with campus carry in effect, how much stronger would the support be today? can you imagine bullets flying everywhere, you don't know who's shooting who, where to duck for cover?
  • DSK
  • 08-02-2016, 11:42 PM
that is awesome! with campus carry in effect, how much stronger would the support be today? can you imagine bullets flying everywhere, you don't know who's shooting who, where to duck for cover? Originally Posted by Chung Tran
Today you would have a shot from several superior firing positions. Lots of taller buildings nearby that weren't there at the time.

The UT Tower is only 307 feet tall. Dobie Center is just as tall and well within range.

RLM from the other side is 225 high.

The Castilian from another angle is about 227.

They have good cover if you could get to the edge alive, and a place to plop your weapon.
CG2014's Avatar
A lone nut is not the same mad dog as a single operator supported with money, equipment, planning and motivation by an organization (like, you know, ISIS). Originally Posted by Poppa_Viagra
I think you meant to say Lee Harvey Oswald.