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Old 08-01-2016, 10:43 PM
 
Location: Austin, TX
16,787 posts, read 48,839,394 times
Reputation: 9477

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Quote:
Originally Posted by Texas Ag 93 View Post
This narrative account of the tragedy appeared in Texas Monthly on the occasion of the 45th anniversary, and I found it a powerful read.

96 Minutes
Wow that is an astounding read. I am heartened by the accounts of the number of heroic citizens and police officers who responded to this tragic event.
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Old 08-02-2016, 09:06 AM
 
Location: Round Rock, Texas
12,867 posts, read 13,173,864 times
Reputation: 13815
Quote:
Originally Posted by CptnRn View Post
I do feel that this incident was more about a mental illness than it was about domestic violence against women. His mother and wife were unfortunately the closest and easiest victims of this aberration, but from what I've read here 96 Minutes , once he was in the tower he did not necessarily target women, he shot at anyone who was an easy target.
I think you are correct. His autopsy revealed a brain tumor of some kind, but "they" never determined if that affected his mental health. A family friend was quite mentally disturbed after she was shot while trying to help her two companions who were killed by her side on The Drag. It was many years before she was able to come to terms with her breakdown that occurred in the months after the tragedy.
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Old 08-02-2016, 09:12 AM
 
Location: Round Rock, Texas
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Quote:
Originally Posted by CptnRn View Post
Wow that is an astounding read. I am heartened by the accounts of the number of heroic citizens and police officers who responded to this tragic event.
You didn't read anything about me - I spent much of the time hunkered down behind a car in a parking lot next to where the Dobie high rise dorm now stands on 21st St. The closest casualty to my location was the City of Austin utility worker Roy S. who was killed about a half block away while walking back to his work truck near Littlefield Fountain.
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Old 08-02-2016, 09:22 AM
 
Location: Warrior Country
4,573 posts, read 6,743,141 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ScoPro View Post
You didn't read anything about me - I spent much of the time hunkered down behind a car in a parking lot next to where the Dobie high rise dorm now stands on 21st St. The closest casualty to my location was the City of Austin utility worker Roy S. who was killed about a half block away while walking back to his work truck near Littlefield Fountain.
Wow...ScoPro, so you were on Campus!!?

- When did the Dobie Tower go up? (didn't know that such a prime lot was a parking lot)
- If in the parking lot (behind a car), would Harry Ransom Building have protected you as well. (I think it's between the Tower and Dobie).
- I read that a guy was shot thru the heart standing on the Kappa house front lawn (which is near there & a pretty good distance from the tower).

Thanks for sharing your experiences ScoPro.

Last edited by hound 109; 08-02-2016 at 09:40 AM..
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Old 08-02-2016, 09:30 AM
 
Location: Austin, TX
15,237 posts, read 35,431,654 times
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I don't know if you can see the comments on the original linked Facebook post, but there are a ton of comments from other people that were there or nearby. Some poignant, some funny.
Quote:
I dove for cover immediately, and was trembling and sweating until I heard the all clear, that wouldn't be so bad, except I was at my house 6 miles away... Ok, I'm not the bravest guy...
Quote:
I was working at the IRS Service Center in South Austin when we heard about the shootings. We heard a call on the radio for blood donors. Many stopped listening to what was happening and headed for Breckenridge. We couldn't even get across the river because of others that were doing the same thing.
Quote:
I was going down 21st in my black and white Nash Metro. I had to stop at the Littlefield Fountain because abandoned cars were in the middle of the street, some with the car doors open. I could not get by. I didn't have the radio on so had no idea what was happening. I got out of my car at about 12:30, stood in the middle of the street and called out to people behind trees and cars what was going on? They motioned at me to get down and someone said that someone was in the Tower shooting down at people. I ran the few yards and got down in front of the Littlefield Fountain and stayed there until it was over.
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Old 08-02-2016, 09:54 AM
 
Location: Round Rock, Texas
12,867 posts, read 13,173,864 times
Reputation: 13815
Quote:
Originally Posted by hound 109 View Post
Wow...ScoPro, so you were on Campus!!?

- When did the Dobie Tower go up? (didn't know that such a prime lot was a parking lot)
- If in the parking lot (behind a car), would Harry Ransom Building have protected you as well. (I think it's between the Tower and Dobie).
- I read that a guy was shot thru the heart standing on the Kappa house front lawn (which is near there & a pretty good distance from the tower).

Thanks for sharing your experiences ScoPro.
1 - No, I was in a parking lot at the corner of Whitis & 21st (between what is now the Dobie Mall building and the Newman Catholic Student Center) - my roomie & I had just finished lunch at the Holiday House on Guadalupe & walked back to my car (a 1960 VW Bug). We had a clear view over Rainey hall (6-pack building next to 21st). There was no Blanton hall around there - Blanton Dorm was on the north side of campus.

2 - I don't recall when the Dobie dorm tower was built - that was after my time at UT.

3 - The current Harry Ransom Library building on 21st was built decades later. In the 1960s, the Harry Ransom Library was located in the large building between the Student Union & the UT Tower. The Blanton Museum of Art building was not there at that time either (on 21st).

4 - Nobody was shot in front of the Kappa Sig house down on 19th Street (MLK today) from what I remember. There might have been some bullet holes in the place.


Speaking of the Kappa Sig House, it's a shame that beautiful old place was torn down to make way for the parking lot that is still there. Here's a pic from my 1962 Cactus showing the Kappa Sigs helping "celebrate" Texas Independence Day by firing back at the ROTC cannons which were "saluting" from the South Mall in front of the Tower towards the State Capitol. Undoubtedly heavy consumption of adult beverages took place all morning before the High Noon event:



Last edited by ScoPro; 08-02-2016 at 10:13 AM.. Reason: oldfart memory needed refreshing
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Old 08-02-2016, 11:29 AM
 
Location: Warrior Country
4,573 posts, read 6,743,141 times
Reputation: 3978
Thanks! Comments Below.

Quote:
Originally Posted by ScoPro View Post
1 - No, I was in a parking lot at the corner of Whitis & 21st (between what is now the Dobie Mall building and the Newman Catholic Student Center) - my roomie & I had just finished lunch at the Holiday House (I remember eating there....I think the HH was still there in the 70s, good burgers.)
....on Guadalupe & walked back to my car (a 1960 VW Bug). We had a clear view over Rainey hall (6-pack building next to 21st). There was no Blanton hall around there - Blanton Dorm was on the north side of campus. Maybe I'm confusing the buildings. I referring to the building that is on the NW corner of 21rst and Guadalupe. (across 21rst from Dobie). I was thinking it was the Ransom (& used to have the Gutenberg Bible there?)

2 - I don't recall when the Dobie dorm tower was built - that was after my time at UT. It was definitely built by 74 when I visited friends there (when still in HS)

3 - The current Harry Ransom Library building on 21st was built decades later. Yes, that's the building that I was thinking of & the one that I was thinking that would have shielded you. But obviously NOT if it hadn't been built yet.

In the 1960s, the Harry Ransom Library was located in the large building between the Student Union & the UT Tower. The Blanton Museum of Art building was not there at that time either (on 21st).

4 - Nobody was shot in front of the Kappa Sig house down on 19th Street (MLK today) from what I remember. There might have been some bullet holes in the place. I'm referring to the Kappa Kappa Gamma Sorority house....on that little street that runs into Littlefield Fountain (& a couple of homes/buildings down from the fountain.)

Speaking of the Kappa Sig House, it's a shame that beautiful old place was torn down to make way for the parking lot that is still there. Here's a pic from my 1962 Cactus showing the Kappa Sigs helping "celebrate" Texas Independence Day by firing back at the ROTC cannons which were "saluting" from the South Mall in front of the Tower towards the State Capitol. Undoubtedly heavy consumption of adult beverages took place all morning before the High Noon event:
Thanks ScoPro.
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Old 08-02-2016, 04:19 PM
 
593 posts, read 1,372,338 times
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And, 50 years later we can finally carry guns to protect ourselves or at least have a fighting chance.
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Old 08-02-2016, 05:36 PM
 
Location: Austin, TX
15,237 posts, read 35,431,654 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ATX Homeboy View Post
And, 50 years later we can finally carry guns to protect ourselves or at least have a fighting chance.
Dude, there were guns everywhere and dozens of people shooting at the tower drains with rifles. They don't help much when a guy walks up and shoot you out of the blue....
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Old 08-02-2016, 05:43 PM
 
Location: Austin, TX
16,787 posts, read 48,839,394 times
Reputation: 9477
Quote:
Originally Posted by ATX Homeboy View Post
And, 50 years later we can finally carry guns to protect ourselves or at least have a fighting chance.
96 Minutes

Quote:
CLIF DRUMMOND was a senior and the student body president. He is a high-tech executive in Austin.
Students with deer rifles were leaning up against telephone poles, using the pole, which is rather narrow, as their shield. And they were firing like crazy back at the Tower.

FORREST PREECE was a junior. A retired advertising executive, he lives in Austin.
I saw two guys in white shirts and slacks running across the lawn of the Pi Phi house, hustling up to its porch with rifles at the ready. Someone was yelling, “Keep down, man. Keep down!”

BRENDA BELL: I don’t know where these vigilantes came from, but they took over Parlin Hall and were crashing around, firing guns. There was massive testosterone.
Quote:
BILL HELMER: I remember thinking, “All we need is a bunch of idiots running around with rifles.” But what they did turned out to be brilliant. Once he could no longer lean over the edge and fire, he was much more limited in what he could do. He had to shoot through those drain spouts, or he had to pop up real fast and then dive down again. That’s why he did most of his damage in the first twenty minutes.

JOHN PIPKIN: I’d left Scholz’s and was sitting across the street from the Chi Omega house when this Texas Ranger walked up carrying a pair of binoculars and a rifle with a scope on it. For some reason, he picked me out of the group of kids sitting on the curb. He said, “Son, you ever done any hunting?” And I said, “Yes, sir, I’ve been hunting all my life.” He said, “Well, take these binoculars. I need for you to calibrate me.” And I said, “Okay.” Whitman would stick his rifle out through one of these drainpipes on the observation deck every once in a while and shoot at someone. The ranger would shoot back, and I’d say, “You’re an inch too high,” or “Bring it over to the left a couple inches.”

BILL HELMER: A friend of mine was glued to the TV at the San Jacinto Cafe, near campus, when a guy with a deer rifle ran in, grabbed a six-pack of beer, and ran back out.

ANN MAJOR: It seemed like every other guy had a rifle. There was a sort of cowboy atmosphere, this “Let’s get him” spirit.
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