This volume provides an analysis of American Charles Whitman (1941-1966), an American engineering student and former U.S. Marine, who killed seventeen people and wounded thirty-two others in a mass shooting rampage in and around the Tower of the University of Texas in Austin on the afternoon of August 1, 1966. Prior to the shootings at the University of Texas, Whitman had murdered his wife and mother the night before. The author attempts to answer the question "why?" with this historical analysis of the event. Using primary sources and photographs, the author details the significant events in Whitman's life that led to the massacre. The author details the life of Whitman, his relationships with his friends, mother and father, brothers and wife. He writes about the victims and where and what they were doing when they were gunned down. The author describes how civilians used their own guns to shoot back at Whitman and how an air attack from a helicopter was unsuccessful in gunning down the killer, but how Austin police were finally able to end the massacre by sneaking up to the Tower and catching Whitman off guard.

On August 1, 1966, University of Texas engineering student Charles Whitman went to the top of the 307-foot campus tower. Over the next 96 minutes he shot and killed 15 people and wounded 31. Tower Sniper: The Terror of America's First Campus Active Shooter, by Monte Akers, Nathan Akers, and Dr. Roger Friedman, explores the history and personal experience of this seminal tragedy, enriches public memory, and advances our understanding of mass shootings that continue to haunt America.The authors vigilantly examine the details leading up to the event, the shootings, and their half-century legacy in stark detail. In doing so the authors correct various myths that have been part of the public narrative for decades, such as a brain tumor having motivated Whitman's actions, that he intentionally targeted certain victims, and that he attempted to make it appear that multiple snipers were active. Witness interviews, examination of primary sources, and handwriting analysis reveal information overlooked until now, including the factors that actually contributed to Whitman's predatory behavior and how his death and autopsy were mishandled.Employing the expertise of a clinical psychologist who was best friend to one of the shooter's young victims, the book contrasts current understandings of trauma with the approach taken at the time, documents the long-term traumatic legacy of mass shootings, and describes how individuals and communities can successfully cope with traumatic memories. The release of this book coincides with the unveiling of the newly expanded memorial for the victims of this tragedy on the University of Texas campus, August 1, 2016, the 50th Anniversary of the shooting.

Charles Whitman Jr was born and raised with his two younger brothers in a nice neighbourhood in the suburbs of Lake Worth, Florida. From the outside, the Whitman's appeared to be living the American dream but within the household, lay a much darker reality. Charles Whitman Sr made sure his family wanted for nothing and in return, he demanded perfection. Lethargy or failure were unacceptable and resulted in violence. Growing up under the brutal rule of Charles Sr took its toll on Charles Jr. He could not live up to the impossible expectations set by his father nor could he accept his failures. Charles Jr struggled to control his inner thoughts and temper, and his life started to unravel. He needed to put an end to his trajectory. He wasn't going to slide into mediocrity. He wouldn't go silently into suicide and oblivion. The world needed to know his name and what he was truly capable of, for the rest of time. The Texas Tower Sniper is a chilling account of one of the largest campus shootings in American history. Ryan Green's riveting narrative draws the reader into the real-live horror experienced by the victims and has all the elements of a classic thriller. CAUTION: This book contains descriptive accounts of abuse and violence. If you are especially sensitive to this material, it might be advisable not to read any further

A true crime story.

Provides personality profiles, historical essays, and first-person reminiscences of the history of the University of Texas. Topics include recurring attacks on the school by politicians and regents, the institution's history of segregation and struggles to become a diverse university, the sixties' protest movements, and the Tower sniper shooting.

“This rapturous novel starts with one of the most heinous shootings in history, yet every page shines with life. . . . [A] stunning achievement.” —Caroline Leavitt, New York Times–bestselling author of Is This Tomorrow and Pictures of You On an oppressively hot Monday in August of 1966, a student and former marine named Charles Whitman hauled a footlocker of guns to the top of the University of Texas tower and began firing on pedestrians below. Before it was over, sixteen people had been killed and thirty-two wounded. It was the first mass shooting of civilians on a campus in American history. Monday, Monday follows three students caught up in the massacre: Shelly, who leaves her math class and walks directly into the path of the bullets, and two cousins, Wyatt and Jack, who heroically rush from their classrooms to help the victims. On this searing day, a relationship begins that will eventually entangle these three young people in a forbidden love affair, an illicit pregnancy, and a vow of secrecy that will span forty years. Reunited decades after the tragedy, they will be forced to confront the event that changed their lives and that has silently and persistently ruled the lives of their children. With electrifying storytelling and powerful sense of destiny, Elizabeth Crook’s Monday, Monday explores the ways in which we sustain ourselves and one another when the unthinkable happens. “Beautifully written . . . compelling . . . each character is honestly but lovingly portrayed” —BookPage “A vivid portrayal of resolve in the face of great tragedy.” —Booklist “A gorgeous, worthy and entirely believable read.” —San Antonio Express-News “Confident and lyrical as it smartly engages terror and its aftermath.” —Kirkus Reviews, starred review “Rich and satisfying.” —Library Journal “[An] intensely imagined novel.” —Publishers Weekly

A powerful and gripping collection of mass murders in America from Camden, New Jersey to San Bernardino, California. The most frightening horror stories ever told because these horror stories actually happened.