Charles Whitman was an American mass murderer responsible for the 1966 University of Texas tower shooting in Austin. Prior to the attack, he killed members of his family before carrying out a public shooting that resulted in multiple deaths and injuries. The incident became one of the earliest widely documented mass shootings in modern U.S. history. Whitman was killed by police during the attack, ending the event.

Charles Joseph Whitman was born on June 24, 1941, in Lake Worth, Florida. He grew up in a strict household and demonstrated academic ability from a young age, achieving the rank of Eagle Scout.
He later joined the United States Marine Corps and went on to attend the University of Texas, where he studied engineering. Despite outward success, reports indicated he experienced personal and behavioural difficulties, including emotional instability.
The events associated with Charles Whitman occurred between July 31 and August 1, 1966. The incident began with the killing of family members in a domestic setting. On August 1, Whitman carried out a mass shooting from the University of Texas tower in Austin. The attack lasted over an hour and resulted in multiple fatalities and injuries.
The event is classified as a single incident involving both domestic and public mass killing.
Whitman’s actions involved the use of firearms from an elevated position, allowing him to target individuals at a distance. He brought multiple weapons and ammunition, indicating preparation.
The attack combined elements of domestic homicide followed by a public mass shooting. His use of positioning and distance allowed him to extend the duration and impact of the event.
Charles Whitman was not captured. Law enforcement officers confronted him during the shooting and shot him dead at the scene.
There was no trial, as Charles Whitman was killed during the incident.
"I don’t quite understand what compels me to type this letter."— Charles Whitman
"I am supposed to be an average reasonable and intelligent young man."— Charles Whitman

Charles Whitman believed that perfection was the only option in life. It was an idea that was beaten into him by his father. When he wasn’t able to achieve perfection in his life, he decided to end it and he was going to take as many people with him as he could. You can listen to our Podcast by searching "this is MONSTERS": Apple Podcasts Google Podcasts Amazon Podcasts Stitcher Spotify Pocket Casts Player FM TuneIn Radio Public You can check out our NEW merch by shopping at https://this-is-monsters.creator-spring.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thisismonsters Twitter: https://twitter.com/thisis_monsters Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thisis_monsters/ If you are a victim of domestic abuse, please reach out to someone for help. Please call the national domestic abuse hotline at 1-800-799-SAFE. That’s 1-800-799-7233 or go to thehotline.org to chat with someone online. This website is set up so that at any time, hitting the escape key twice will instantly take your browser to a google search page. In the event the abuser is nearby, you can ensure that you don’t get caught trying to get help. If you are having feelings of harming yourself or someone else or even just need someone to talk to, please contact your local mental health facility, call 911 or call Mental Health America who operate the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK. That’s 1-800-273-8255. They’re available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

This video was edited by Alex, a fellow true-crime creator - Horror Behind The Photo. If you want to see more of him, this is his channel: https://www.youtube.com/@horrorbehindthephoto Thanks, Alex! Ex-Marine Charles Joseph Whitman, a student at the University of Texas at Austin, went on a shooting spree that began around midnight on August 1, 1966, with the murders of his mother and his wife. The next day he went to campus and dispensed death to 16, leaving 31 others wounded before being shot down by police. Join this channel to get access to perks: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCPnXkFy7z7JoLBtV2LLK2cQ/join If you like my videos, please consider joining my Patreon. This is how I manage to pay for my narrations. Thank you! https://www.patreon.com/serialkillers Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SKDocumentaries Our Podcast: https://podcast.sptfy.com/skd https://apple.co/3RbA2L7 Tags: Serial killer documentary,Serial killers,True crime,Crime documentary,Killer documentary,Murder investigation,Criminal psychology,Crime analysis,Forensic analysis