UT Tower Shooting (1966) On the morning on August 1, 1966, Charles Whitman ascended to the observation deck of the University of Texas at Austin Main Building and began shooting indiscriminately on persons below, killing 14 and injuring 31. Neal Spelce—a young reporter for Austin’s KTBC-TV—was on the scene, helping to produce the footage seen in this local news broadcast as well as national coverage of the tragedy.