Charles Whitman
| Charles Whitman | |
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Charles Whitman in 1963
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| Born |
Charles Joseph Whitman June 24, 1941 Lake Worth, Florida, U.S. |
| Died | August 1, 1966 (aged 25) Austin, Texas, U.S. |
| Cause of death | Multiple shotgun wounds (ruled as justifiable homicide) |
| Other names | The Texas Tower Sniper |
| Spouse(s) | Kathy Leissner (m. 1962–66) |
| Parent(s) | Charles Adolphus "C. A." Whitman, Jr. Margaret Whitman |
| Killings | |
| Date | August 1, 1966 Family: c. 12:15 a.m. – 3:00 a.m. Random: 11:48 a.m. – 1:24 p.m. |
| Location(s) | University of Texas at Austin, Texas |
| Target(s) | Family, students, teachers, and police |
| Killed | 18 (including Whitman, Gunby, and the unborn child) |
| Injured | 32 (including 1 later fatality) |
| Weapons |
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Charles Joseph Whitman (June 24, 1941 – August 1, 1966), was an American mass murderer who became infamous as the "Texas Tower Sniper" after he killed 14 people and wounded 31 others, on August 1, 1966, before being shot and killed by police. Among the 14 people killed in the murder spree, the victims included an unborn baby and a student who would eventually die from his wounds in 2001.
In the early morning hours of August 1, 1966, Whitman began his rampage when he murdered his mother and wife in their homes. Later that day, he brought a number of weapons, including rifles, a shotgun, and handguns, to the campus of the University of Texas at Austin where, during an approximate 90- to 95-minute time period, he killed 14 people and wounded 31 others in a mass shooting in and around the university's tower. Whitman shot and killed three people inside the tower and eleven others after firing at random from the 28th-floor observation deck of the main building. Whitman was eventually shot and killed by Austin police officers Houston McCoy and Ramiro Martinez.
Whitman was born on June 24, 1941, in Lake Worth, Florida, the eldest of three sons born to Margaret E. (Hodges) and Charles Adolphus "C. A." Whitman, Jr. Whitman's father had been raised in an orphanage in Savannah, Georgia, and described himself as a self-made man. In 1940, he married Margaret, then 17 years old. The marriage of Whitman's parents was marred by domestic violence; Whitman's father was an admitted authoritarian who provided for his family but demanded near perfection from all of them. He was known to physically and emotionally abuse his wife and children.
As a boy, Whitman was described as a polite, well-mannered child who seldom lost his temper. He was extremely intelligent—an examination at the age of six revealed his IQ to be 139. Whitman's academic achievements were encouraged by his parents, yet any indication of failure or a lethargic attitude would be met with discipline—often physical—from his father.
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