The UT tower shooter

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I was there as well. I was crossing the campus after a class when Whitman opened fire. Lots of guns came out of the woodwork. A lot of people were shooting back, and it forced Whitman to keep his head down. Undoubtedly this held down the number of casualties.

For this reason, if the same incident took place today, the casualty count would be higher. There are not as many guns on college campuses.

Back then, students took their rifles with them to college, not for "protection," but to have them handy for target practice and hunting. Shooting incidents on college campuses were unheard of. Whitman was probably the first.
 
AlexanderA said:
For this reason, if the same incident took place today, the casualty count would be higher. There are not as many guns on college campuses.
Click to expand...

Excellent point. We remember it well in South Florida. Whitman was an Eagle Scout from West Palm Beach.
 
My family passed through less than a week afterwards while driving from Colorado (where we lived) to my grandparent's house about 50 miles south of Austin. I just recall the pieces of plywood where some of the windows had been in the storefronts.
 
Yes today he would hurt way more people before SWAT got there and it would be protracted cause now days they want the Police to try and talk it out instead of what those brave men did to stop him.
 
For a chilling review of that incident (among others...) the book to read is Street Survival. It was my bible in the early eighties since I was on the street down here in south Florida and working as hard as I could to learn a bit more than the standard, FBI led, police firearms instruction - which was all we had back then....

The very clear point they made was that the shooter's elevation gave him a terrible advantage and that folks who thought they were sheltered below (behind cars or other cover) were actually clearly visible to their opponent.... The photos included, from both ground level and from that high tower above were a real eye opener for me... As usual your tactics in a critical incident will be what saves or dooms you (and that goes for all of us, police or civilian...

The book is a bit dated now but many of the basics would be well worth a review by any armed citizen hoping to survive a gunfight or other armed encounter... Years later that book helped me put together in-service officer survival training for my department. These days, from what little I'm able to get through public media it seems that most agencies have lost those skills - but will be forced to re-learn survival tactics as the wheel comes full circle and once again young cops (and the general public) find themselves possible targets for deliberate ambush...

Like many here I'm old enough to remember when the phrase "active shooter" wasn't in use. Wish it weren't necessary today either.
 
As I recall, Whitman was found on autopsy to have a brain tumor. Arguably, hindsight being what it is, the tumor likely affected his actions leading to the shooting, and possibly even began affecting him during his time as a Marine.
 
Unfortunately, one of the officers who went up the tower (R. Martinez) has come out strongly against campus carry.

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/...ting-anniversary-texas-campus-carry/87746742/

I saw a video where he said that carry was not good idea.

As far as the police talking, that is an overgeneralization. Quite a bit of modern training is to immediately engage the shooter. Do some departments not do this - perhaps. But overall doctrine has changed.
 
Today is the day campus carry takes effect. UT Professors are cowering in their offices waiting for the shootouts to start. Predictions of doom and gloom are flowing from the pundent's pens. Another mass shooting that makes the tower incident seem mild in comparison is going to occur any day now because some freshman disagrees with the professor's propaganda.

The problem with all that is only about 10% of the student population can qualify if they choose to do so.
 
Ramiro Martinez is not without his controversies. THere's an old debate in Texas over which officer actually killed Whitman - Martinez or another APD Officer named Houston McCoy. I've never been in the Martinez camp, myself.
 
Some of the local and national news shows did interview students who taught it was a fine idea.
 
As did many mainstream media, NPR did a piece on All Things Considered last night. Framed it as a horrible/shocking coincidence that the new Texas CC law on college campuses was going into effect the same day as the 50th anniversary. They like to use anniversaries of tragedies or other ways to obliquely refer to a tragedy to keep the constant drip, drip of fear and victimhood flowing in the minds of listeners.

Anyway, they sure omitted the part about good guys with guns (deer rifles retrieved from pick-ups) used to help suppress the fire from Whitman in the tower 50 years ago. Ironic, since the new law will allow lawful concealed carry on campus (over 21, CC permit, training) for students.

Now, 50 years later, good guys with guns will be able to defend themselves or possibly intervene just like their forebears did 50 years ago.
 
Good Old NPR! They are virulently anti gun, but about once a year, a pro gun guest is allowed to share their views. :what:

Quickly forgotten, and the next 364 PC days roll on. :rolleyes:
 
Didn't armed citizens provide covering fire?
I'd think if that was the case they'd have to have been on campus, with guns.
 
It was with rifles that the folks had to go retrieve from cars and rooms. It wasn't with handguns.
 
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