Texas Sniper: America’s First Mass Shooter

On August 1, 1966, Charles Whitman climbed to the top of the University of Texas tower with a footlocker full of guns. By the time it was over, 16 people were dead, dozens more were wounded, and America had experienced its first modern mass shooting.

In this episode of Murder U, we trace Whitman’s life from gifted child and former Marine to the deeply disturbed killer who changed the way police, schools, and the public responded to mass violence.

We explore his childhood trauma, psychiatric red flags, suicide letters, and the brain tumor discovered during his autopsy. We also honor the stories of the victims, survivors, and heroic responders whose courage stood in stark contrast to the chaos. The Texas Tower massacre wasn’t just the beginning of a tragic new chapter in American history—it was a warning we’ve still failed to fully heed.

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