Charles Whitman
1941 – 1966

Charles Whitman

American mass murderer and spree killer; perpetrator of the University of Texas Tower shooting (1941–1966)

mass murdererspree killersniper
Born
1941-06-24, Lake Worth Beach
Died
1966-08-01
Birthplace state
Florida

Biography

Charles Joseph Whitman was born on June 24, 1941, in Lake Worth Beach, Florida. A former Marine and architectural engineering student at the University of Texas at Austin, he committed the 1966 University of Texas tower shooting on August 1, 1966, killing 17 people and wounding 31 others. His attacks began the night before when he stabbed his mother and wife to death in their respective homes, then armed with multiple rifles and other weapons, he fatally shot three people inside UT Austin's Main Building before accessing the 28th-floor observation deck of the clock tower, where he fired at random people for 96 minutes until he was shot dead by the Austin Police Department.

Occupation

Charles Whitman is recorded as a mass murderer, a spree killer and a sniper, born in Florida (1941–1966).

Connections to Florida

Charles Whitman was born in Lake Worth Beach, Florida in 1941. Explore other notable figures from Florida, historic sites connected to this era, and the full colonial and statehood history of the state using the links below.

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Everything a full report reveals about Lake Worth Beach

Charles Whitman came from Lake Worth Beach. A full Aubrey report on Lake Worth Beach pulls together everything the historical record holds about that place, from the first settlers to the twentieth century:

Overview
An interactive map of the location with historic sites, battles and Native heritage plotted, and its full story era by era.
The Land
The historic sites and place names around the location, and how this land was settled and used.
Geology
The bedrock beneath the site, its age and rock type, reaching back millions of years.
LiDAR Terrain
Laser-scanned terrain that reveals earthworks and old features hidden in the landscape.
Conflict & War
The battles, raids and skirmishes fought near here, across every era of American conflict.
The Civil War
The Civil War on this ground, 1861 to 1865: who held it, and the battles, camps and regiments nearby.
The Soldiers
The men who marched from here in the Civil War, named and traced where the record allows.
Native Heritage
The Native nations who held this land, mapped across time from before European contact to today.
Settlement
Who claimed and held this ground, from Indigenous homelands through the colonial powers to the United States.
The Community
How the town grew, who came, and what kind of place it became, traced through the census record.
Rivers & Rail
The rivers, canals and railroads that connected this place between 1830 and 1911.
Notable People
The people born, buried or genuinely tied to this exact place, with their stories.
Historical Maps
Historic maps of the location layered over how it looks today.
Finds & Access
Museum objects tied to the area, and the laws on searching, collecting and access here.
Literature
The old books, county histories and archives that mention this place, quoted with their sources.
Spotlight
A deep dive into the most remarkable, lesser-known history of the place, traced back to the record.
Points of Interest
The most significant historic sites and landmarks near the location, and why they matter.
Timeline
The whole story of the location told era by era, from first peoples to the present day.
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Frequently asked about Charles Whitman

Who was Charles Whitman?
Charles Whitman was American mass murderer and spree killer; perpetrator of the University of Texas Tower shooting (1941–1966), born in Florida (1941 – 1966).
When and where was Charles Whitman born?
Charles Whitman was born on 1941-06-24 in Lake Worth Beach.
When did Charles Whitman die?
Charles died on 1966-08-01.
What was Charles Whitman known for?
Charles Whitman is recorded as a mass murderer, a spree killer and a sniper.
Source

Biographical content adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License. Source: Wikipedia.

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