Monday, August 1, 2016

Today In History: Tumor Rumor*

It was 50 yrs. ago today, Charles Whitman blew some Texans away!

The Pride of Kerrville (Kinky Friedman, not Johnny Manziel.) wrote a song about the whole ugly All-American mess.As someone whose first (legal, not real) name is Charles & who attended Whitman College, this reporter has believed the voices in head telling himfelt since attending Whitman that there was great but hidden meaning for him in the Texas Tower Massacre. No idea what that meaning is, exactly, but it must mean something.

And no idea if other Whitties named Charles feel the same way.

Also no idea who wrote this Wikipedia entry, but it must mean something that the typist was more interested in a list of the weapons used than the names of the human victims. Hey, human life comes & goes, but a firearm is forever, right?
Killings
DateAugust 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
Killed17
Injured32 (including 1 later fatality)
Weapons
  • Remington 700 ADL (6mm)
  • Universal M1 carbine
  • Remington Model 141 (.35-caliber)
  • Sears model 60 Semi-automatic shotgun (12 gauge)
  • S&W Model 19 (.357 Magnum)
  • Luger P08 (9mm)
  • Galesi-Brescia (.25 ACP)
  • Knife
Thanks to The Rectification of Names for the reminder (Can't imagine how I didn't have this item already typed & scheduled. Must've been slacking, if you can imagine that.) & a bit of current events relevance. I for one can not wait until someone has cut in line in front of an open-carrier seeking a more polite society & the "Shoot-Out at the H-E-B Corral" is the latest American legend.

*Tumor rumor dealt w/ by Yastreblyansky.

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