The Neal Spelce Collection, No. 3 - UT Tower Shooting

Duration: 0:26:49

Year Published: 19661966

Format: 16mm

Sound: sound

Description: On the morning of August 1, 1966, Charles Whitman, a 25 year old former student, began shooting from the 28th floor observation deck of the University of Texas tower. By the time Austin police shot and killed him 90 minutes later, Whitman had killed sixteen people and wounded thirty-one. Also dead were his wife and mother who he had stabbed to death earlier in the day. Neal Spelce, a young reporter for Austin's KTBC-TV, filmed these clips which would air in local and national news coverage. Footage from the scene of the shooting is included as well as a “play-by-play” description of how Whitman was brought down, as told by Austin Chief of Police Bob Miles and civilian Allen Crum. University of Texas Chancellor Dr. Harry Ransom reads a prepared statement and shares his personal views about the tragedy and Phil Miller, KTBC newsman, reads a riveting report of his experience covering the story.Until the 2007 violence at Virginia Tech University, Whitman’s deadly rampage was the worst campus shooting in U. S. history.