Join us in the Nicolás Guillén room for this book talk and discussion on The Tower Sniper: The Terror of America's First Active Shooter on Campus.
About the book:
On August 1, 1966, University of Texas student Charles Whitman went to the top of the campus Tower and shot and killed 15 people and wounded 31. Tower Sniper: The Terror of America's First Active Shooter on Campus, by Monte Akers, Nathan Akers, and Dr. Roger Friedman, explores the history and personal experience of this seminal tragedy, enriches public memory of the event, and advances our understanding of mass shootings and how their traumatic impact continues to haunt America.
The book examines the details leading up to the tragedy, the shootings, and their halfcenturylegacy in stark detail. In doing so the authors correct various myths that have been part of the public narrative for decades, such as a brain tumor having motivated Whitman’s actions, that he intentionally targeted certain victims, and that he attempted to make it appear that multiple snipers were active. Witness interviews, examination of primary sources, and handwriting analysis reveal information overlooked until now, including the factors that actually contributed to Whitman’s predatory behavior and how his death and autopsy were mishandled.
Employing the expertise of a clinical psychologist and social worker who was best friend of one of the shooter’s young victims, the book contrasts current understandings of trauma with the approach taken at the time, documents the long-term traumatic legacy of mass shootings, and describes how individuals and communities can successfully cope with traumatic memories. The release of this book coincides with the unveiling of the new memorial for the victims of this tragedy on the University of Texas campus, August 1, 2016, the 50th Anniversary of the shooting.
About the Authors:
Monte Akers is an attorney practicing in Austin, Texas. He is the author of Flames After Midnight: Murder, Vengeance, and the Desolation of a Texas Community; Tales for the Telling: Six Short Stories of the Ciril War on CO; The Accidental Historian: Tales of Trash and Treasure; Year of Glory: The Life and Campaigns of J.E.B. Stuart, June, 1862 to June 1863; and Year of Desperate Struggle: Jeb Stuart and His Cavalry from Gettysburg to Yellow Tavern, 1863-1864.
Nathan Akers graduated from Texas State University with a degree in History in 2013. As a 20-year resident of Austin, Nathan developed a passion for state and local history. He has previously assisted in research for a number of historical books and articles but this is the first book in which he has co-authored. He currently works in the field of education and lives in Arlington, Texas with his wife Alexis and two beautiful daughters: Madison and Harper.
Roger Friedman, Ph.D. is a psychologist and social worker in clinical practice for 35 years in the Washington, D.C. area. He has published many professional articles about the lasting effects of trauma on victims and responders, and has served nationally as a clinical consultant to Mental Health and Social Service Programs. Dr. Friedman is on the Adjunct Faculty at the University Of Maryland School Of Social Work where he teaches about psychopathology and family therapy. He is working on a memoir of growing up in Texas during the 1950s and 1960s. On August 1, 1966, two months after Roger graduated from high school in Austin, his closest childhood friend, Paul Sonntag, was shot and killed by the Tower sniper.
