List of Charles Whitman's victims
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This list of Charles Whitman's victims includes people who were killed by Charles Whitman. Whitman is known for ascending the University of Texas' 27-story tower on August 1, 1966, and shooting passersby in the city and campus below.
In total, Whitman killed 15 people and wounded 31 others, before he was shot dead by Austin police. The total number of fatalities is sometimes listed as 16 or 17, as some sources include the deaths of David Gunby and an unborn child. Two of the victims killed were Whitman's family members, whom he murdered the night prior to the tower shootings.
[edit] Margaret Whitman
Killed in her apartment prior to the tower shootings.
[edit] Kathy Whitman
Killed while she slept, prior to the tower shootings.
[edit] Edna Townsley
47-year-old receptionist and divorced mother of Danny (16) and Terry (12). Whitman encountered her on the 30th floor. He hit her on the head with the back end of his shotgun.
[edit] Marguerite Lamport
Aunt of Mike and Mark Gabour.
[edit] Mark Gabour
Mike and Mark Gabour, the 16- and 19-year-old sons of M.J. Gabour, led their father, mother, aunt and uncle up to the observation deck of the tower just as Charles Whitman was assembling his arsenal. He opened fire on them. Mark and his aunt Marguerite died nearly two minutes later.
[edit] Thomas Frederick Eckman
18 or 19 years old, Eckman's parents were Mary Louise and Frederick Eckman. A native of Barcelona, Spain, Eckman was studying anthropology at UT. When the shooting started, he was outside Benedict Hall with Claire Wilson, his girlfriend, who was eight months pregnant with his child. He was likely shielding her. Thomas was shot after Claire Wilson was shot in the abdomen. Eckman died in the hospital, the baby was stillborn, and Claire survived but was unable to bear any more children.
[edit] Robert Hamilton Boyer
A 33-year old mathematics professor at UT, Robert Boyer had just finished a month teaching in Mexico and had secured a job at Liverpool University to be nearer his pregnant wife Lyndsay, and their children Laura and Matthew. He was shot in the back.
[edit] Thomas Ashton
A 22-year old Peace Corps trainee from Redlands, California, Thomas Ashton was a recent USC graduate attending UT for orientation for his upcoming deployment to Iran on September 14, 1966. He was walking atop the University's Computation Center when he was shot in the chest. He died at Brackenridge, a local Austin hospital. His parents were George F. and Alice Ryan Ashton.
[edit] Thomas Karr
A 24-year old UT student, Karr had just finished a Spanish exam when he was shot in the spine. He was walking alongside Karen Griffith. He died after being taken to the hospital. His father was Ray T. Karr.
[edit] Billy Paul Speed
A 22-year old policeman, Billy Speed was married to Jean and had one daughter, Rebecca Lynn. He had joined the Austin City Police on July 2, 1965 after a stint in the 82nd Airborne Division. He was eating lunch when he heard the gunfire, and was one of the first police officers on the scene. He had taken cover behind a stone railing beneath a statue of Jefferson Davis in The Mall, but Whitman managed to shoot him as he peered out.[1]
[edit] Harry Walchuk
A 39-year old PhD student, he had six children with his wife Marilyn: John, Peter, Christopher, Jennifer, Thomas, and Paul. He had gone to Guadalupe Street to purchase a magazine during his lunch hour, was shot, and died while in emergency surgery. A memorial fund was established in his name and raised $850.
[edit] Paul Bolton Sonntag
An 18-year old graduate of Stephen F. Austin High, Paul Sonntag had been accepted to the University of Colorado for the upcoming term, and was working as a lifeguard at the local pool. Out with his fiancée Claudia Rutt and their friend Carla to pick up his paycheck and get Claudia a polio vaccination, when the shooting started the three of them took cover behind construction barriers in front of the Snyder-Chenards dress shop. At one point Paul stood up, exclaimed "Carla! Come look, I can see him. This is for real!" and was shot in the mouth. His grandfather, KTBC anchor Paul Bolton, learned of his death when he asked reporter Joe Roddy to read out a list of casualties on-air. He was buried in Austin Memorial Park.[2]
[edit] Claudia Rutt
An 18-year old who dreamed of becoming a dancer, Claudia Rutt had been accepted to Texas Christian University for the upcoming term. She was out with her fiancé Paul Sonntag, getting a polio vaccination. Rutt moved out from the barriers to try and help the wounded Sonntag, but was shot in the chest by Whitman moments later. She was buried in Oakwood Cemetery. Her father was Melvin, her mother is Diane, and her sister is Mary Anne.
[edit] Roy Dell Schmidt
A 29-year old electrical repairman, Roy Dell Schmidt had just finished making a phone call when a bystander announced the gunfire. He was running towards his truck with a co-worker when he was shot in the stomach. He left behind his wife Nancy White and their daughter, Kimberly Dawn.
[edit] Karen Griffith
17-year old daughter of Harvey Griffith, Karen also had a sister Pamela. She was a student at Sidney Lanier High School, where Whitman's wife, Kathy, was a teacher. She was shot in the lung and died after a week in the hospital. Her funeral was held the following day at Crestview Memorial Park in Wichita Falls. Her school's 1967 yearbook was dedicated to her and Kathy Whitman.
[edit] David Gunby
A 23-year old electrical engineering student, Gunby was shot in the lower-left back, while walking towards the University library. During surgery to reconnect his severed small intestine, doctors realized that Gunby's sole kidney had been severely damaged by the shooting. He later required a kidney transplant, and dialysis. He moved to Fort Worth, Texas and on November 7, 2001 announced he was stopping dialysis. He died a week later at Harris Methodist Hospital.
[edit] Unborn child, surname Wilson
Claire Wilson was 8 months pregnant at the time of the shooting. She was shot in the abdomen, and as a result gave birth to a stillborn child. The baby's father, Thomas Eckman, was shot next in the shoulder while asking Claire, who had already been shot, if she was all right. Claire Wilson survived but was unable to have any more children. [3][4]
