August 1, 1966 at 11:48 am, shots began ringing out on the University of Texas campus in Austin. For a harrowing 96 minutes, officers and civilians alike attempted to offer assistance to those who had been hit, hide behind large objects, and figure out the best course of action to end the chaos that had unfolded.
Victims: Margaret Whitman, Kathleen Whitman, Edna Townsley, Marguerite Lamport, Mark Gabour, Baby Boy Wilson, Thomas Eckman, Robert Hamilton Boyer, Thomas Karr, Billy Paul Speed, Harry Walchuk, Paul Bolton Sonntag, Claudia Rutt, Roy Dell Schmidt, Karen Griffith, David Hubert Gunby
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