Austin, Texas — On a sweltering summer day in 1966, the University of Texas campus became the site of a shocking and deadly event that stands out in the history of American crime. The tower shooting by Charles Whitman, a 25-year-old former Marine, marked one of the worst mass shootings in the U.S. at the time, leaving 15 dead and 31 injured.
Whitman, who had armed himself with a cache of firearms, first murdered a receptionist with his rifle, then turned the university’s iconic tower into a sniper’s nest. From his elevated position, he unleashed terror on unsuspecting students and residents. Among the victims were a pregnant woman, her partner, several other pedestrians, and a paramedic who had rushed to the scene in response to the initial shots.
The violence on August 1, 1966, began, however, with more personal and hidden tragedies. Earlier that day, Whitman had killed both his wife, Kathy Leissner, whom he married in 1962, and his own mother. In notes left behind, Whitman expressed a twisted mixture of love and fatal resolve. He cited no clear reason for his actions but mentioned his desire to spare his wife the shame he believed his actions would bring and discussed his own disillusionment with life.
Following the mass shooting and his eventual death at the hands of a police officer, an autopsy revealed a surprising physical condition. Whitman had a brain tumor, about the size of a pecan, pressing against his amygdala. The amygdala is critical in processing emotions, including fear and aggression, which possibly explained the drastic change in his behavior as suggested by his own unsettling shift in behavior prior to the attack.
In his writings, Whitman himself sensed something was amiss, confessing to being plagued by “unusual and irrational thoughts” and having struggles with mental turmoil, which he faced without any effective professional help after an initial consultation. He specifically requested an autopsy be performed after his death in order to see if there was any discernible physical cause for his actions.
The incident prompted a reevaluation of university security policies and had a lasting impact on American society’s views on gun control and mental health issues. Although it took place over half a century ago, the University of Texas tower shooting remains a profound, troubling event that underscores the complex interplay between mental health issues and violent behavior.