UT Tower Tour: October 2008

My MOMS Club read "A Sniper in the Tower" for book club in October. This is the story of the UT shootings by Charles Whitman from the observation deck of the UT Tower. We then scheduled a tour of the UT Tower on the 19th of October.

One of Whitman's victims was a police officer that was observing from behind this concrete decorative railing. He was peeking up at the tower and Whitman hit him right in the head. You can see how impossible of a shot this was from the top of the tower proving Whitman was an excellent marksman. In addition to the distance and the preciseness this shot required, Whitman was shooting from the rain gutters pictured below, making it even more of an impossible shot.

This is the North East corner of the observation deck where Whitman was finally killed.

Bullet holes are still visable in the fascade of the tower on the observation deck.

People sought cover anywhere possible. One lady hid behind this flagpole for 2 hours until Whitman's rampage ended.

The clock faces are huge. They measure 15 feet in diameter. From the observation deck it is amazing how large these clocks really are!
Despite the horrible massacre that occured from the tower it is one of the most beautiful views of the city!