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Quiz about Charles WhitmanThe Texas Tower Sniper
Quiz about Charles WhitmanThe Texas Tower Sniper

Charles Whitman-The Texas Tower Sniper Quiz


Austin, Texas; 1966. Charles Whitman, Eagle Scout and ex-Marine climbs to the top of the University of Texas clock tower. He is armed to the teeth. For ninety minutes, he fires on the unsuspecting crowds below.

A multiple-choice quiz by bigox. Estimated time: 6 mins.
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Author
bigox
Time
6 mins
Type
Multiple Choice
Quiz #
80,712
Updated
Mar 09 22
# Qns
10
Difficulty
Very Difficult
Avg Score
3 / 10
Plays
2313
- -
Question 1 of 10
1. Charles Whitman joined the Marine Corps at age 18. What year did he enlist? Hint


Question 2 of 10
2. What year did Whitman begin classes at the University of Texas? Hint


Question 3 of 10
3. On August 1, 1966, Charlie killed his mother, Margaret and his wife, Kathy at their homes. He then proceeded to the UT campus with an arsenal of weapons. Who was his first victim once he arrived at the Tower? Hint


Question 4 of 10
4. Just before noon, Charlie opened fire on the campus below. Who was his first victim from the Tower? Hint


Question 5 of 10
5. From the Tower, Whitman had a full view of the entire city. After shooting people on the university campus, he turned his attention to Guadalupe Street. Who was the first to fall along this street? Hint


Question 6 of 10
6. As police arrived on the scene, they began to draw closer to the Tower. Who was the first police officer killed by Whitman? Hint


Question 7 of 10
7. How many people were shot that day by Charles Whitman? Hint


Question 8 of 10
8. What two police officers finally ended Whitman's killing spree? Hint


Question 9 of 10
9. In 1976, the Observation Deck of the Texas Tower was closed to visitors. Bullet holes had been repaired, but the university was cautious regarding the history of the building. A few suicides in the early 1970s only further encouraged its closure. What year did it finally reopen? Hint


Question 10 of 10
10. Who portrayed Charles Whitman in the film "The Deadly Tower"?

Answer: (Last name or full name)

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Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts
1. Charles Whitman joined the Marine Corps at age 18. What year did he enlist?

Answer: 1959

Charlie excelled in marksmanship, scoring 215 of a possible 250 in long-range shooting. This skill proved to be absolutely deadly a few years later, when Whitman decided to take out his anger and frustration on the city of Austin.
2. What year did Whitman begin classes at the University of Texas?

Answer: 1961

An exceptional Marine, Charlie qualified for a USMC sponsored Science Education scholarship at the university. He enrolled in September of 1961 and studied engineering. While in school though, his troubles began. He started gambling and found himself in debt.

His grades slipped and he lost his scholarship. He returned to the Marine Corps but was soon in trouble there as well. He was honorably discharged in 1963.
3. On August 1, 1966, Charlie killed his mother, Margaret and his wife, Kathy at their homes. He then proceeded to the UT campus with an arsenal of weapons. Who was his first victim once he arrived at the Tower?

Answer: Edna Townsley

Townsley was the receptionist at the Tower Observation Deck. Whitman approached her from the elevator, wheeling his USMC footlocker full of weapons on a dolley. He hit her in the back of the head with the butt of a rifle, and dragged her behind a couch. She bled to death as Charlie's rampage began.
4. Just before noon, Charlie opened fire on the campus below. Who was his first victim from the Tower?

Answer: Claire Wilson

Wilson, 18, was pregnant. Using a scoped, 6mm Remington rifle, Whitman opened fire. The bullet entered her abdomen, killing her unborn child. Moments later, her friend Thomas Eckman fell dead alongside her. Claire survived, but not after more than a dozen other people around her had been shot and killed.
5. From the Tower, Whitman had a full view of the entire city. After shooting people on the university campus, he turned his attention to Guadalupe Street. Who was the first to fall along this street?

Answer: Alex Hernandez

Hernandez was on his bicycle, delivering newspapers when a bullet tore into him. He was wounded, but recovered in a local hospital. Within minutes, countless others had been killed or wounded by the gunman.
6. As police arrived on the scene, they began to draw closer to the Tower. Who was the first police officer killed by Whitman?

Answer: Billy Speed

Speed and Culp hid themselves behind a statue on the UT campus. Whitman was able to find Speed in his crosshairs through a six-inch gap in the statue's railing. An exceptional marksman, Whitman seemed to never miss.
7. How many people were shot that day by Charles Whitman?

Answer: 46

In a relatively short period of time, Whitman shot 46 people. Fourteen died from their wounds. Many of his victims were shot from distances of up to 500 yards.
8. What two police officers finally ended Whitman's killing spree?

Answer: Ramiro Martinez & Houston McCoy

Martinez and McCoy, along with countless others, stormed the Tower to put an end to the slaughter. When they arrived at the door to the observation deck, they discovered that Whitman had barricaded it shut with his dolley. Martinez was able to kick the door open and he and McCoy dropped the gunman with shotgun blasts and a revolver. Whitman lay dead along the wall of the Tower.

He had left a typewritten note with his wife's body requesting that an autopsy be performed "in order to determine if he suffered any mental defect." A tumor was found in Whitman's brain, near the area which controls aggression, but no solid proof that this caused his killing spree was ever put into evidence.
9. In 1976, the Observation Deck of the Texas Tower was closed to visitors. Bullet holes had been repaired, but the university was cautious regarding the history of the building. A few suicides in the early 1970s only further encouraged its closure. What year did it finally reopen?

Answer: 1999

Finally, the University of Texas decided that the Tower should be opened to the public.
10. Who portrayed Charles Whitman in the film "The Deadly Tower"?

Answer: Kurt Russell

This 1975 made for TV film also starred Ned Beatty, John Forsythe and Pernell Roberts. Not a great film, but not bad either.
Source: Author bigox

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor thejazzkickazz before going online.
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