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Coverage dated July 31, 2026 to August 1, 2026

60 years ago: An unforgettable tragedy on the University of Texas campus

Headline from KHOU Houston

On Aug. 1, 1966, a sniper opened fire from the UT Tower, and for over 90 minutes he shot people who were on campus and walking along The Drag.

KHOU Houston's own description from its feed. We collect headlines and these descriptions, not full articles; read the original reporting below.

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5 articles, oldest first.

  1. Texas Standard

    60 years ago, the University of Texas tower shooting opened a grim chapter of shared tragedy (opens Texas Standard)

    Published

    Texas Standard's feed description

    In 2016, Texas Standard collected the oral histories of dozens who lived through that tragedy. Today, we revisit those stories.

  2. KHOU Houston

    60 years ago: An unforgettable tragedy on the University of Texas campus (opens KHOU Houston)

    Published

    KHOU Houston's feed description

    On Aug. 1, 1966, a sniper opened fire from the UT Tower, and for over 90 minutes he shot people who were on campus and walking along The Drag.

  3. Fox7 Austin

    University of Texas Tower Shooting: 60 years later (opens Fox7 Austin)

    Published

    Fox7 Austin's feed description

    The University of Texas tower shooting, one of the worst campus shootings in American history, happened 60 years ago on Aug. 1, 1966. On that day, 25-year-old engineering student and former marine Charles Whitman took an elevator to the top of the University of Texas Tower and killed 16 people inclu…

Identical headlines usually mean shared wire copy. They are counted as separate articles but are not independent confirmation.

60 years ago: An unforgettable tragedy on the University of Texas campus | Since Then