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Letter to the editor, Lubbock, Avalanche Journal

Wednesday, April 25, 2007
Sniper story element is often overlooked


The photo on page 7 of the April 17 edition accompanying the story for which I was interviewed that was tagged as depicting "smoke rising from a sniper's gun" actually depicts rock dust and rock fragments of bullet impacts from return fire against Whitman by students and citizens who went home and got their hunting rifles to shoot back.

I interviewed many of them that day as an American-Statesman reporter who was on campus for the entire tragedy. Needless to say, Whitman was using modern "smokeless" powder that doesn't produce significant amounts of white smoke. Whitman was much better armed and trained (a former Marine) than the Virginia Tech killer, yet his victim count was much lower due to return fire.

Citizen return fire began within 20 minutes, even though a significant police presence didn't happen for at least 45 minutes. In watching the whole affair, I doubt Whitman was able to get off another carefully aimed shot after about 20 minutes due to all of the rock fragments flying around his location. His hit ratio was significantly decreased. I mention this because it is an often overlooked element of the Tower sniper story.

DON VANDIVER/Lubbock

excellent, Excellent, EXCELLENT.

We who are pushing 60 remember it well. That day the LEO praised the armed citizens for the needed help.

Things have changed so much since then that I shiver to think what It would have been like with the same person /situation had the year been 2007 instead. Back then the Police was glad for the help that the citizens provided with hunting rifles, a citizen even went with the two policeman that made it up there to end whittmans rampage....today Im not so sure what reception you would get running up to help with your hunting rifle in hand.


In small towns its still a bit the old way with folks pitching in(Tyler Tx), in large cities those days are largely gone. as a 20 year Tx Peace officer, now former due to injuries,
I would have been glad for the help in a situation that bad.

p99guy wrote:Things have changed so much since then that I shiver to think what It would have been like with the same person /situation had the year been 2007 instead. Back then the Police was glad for the help that the citizens provided with hunting rifles, a citizen even went with the two policeman that made it up there to end whittmans rampage....today Im not so sure what reception you would get running up to help with your hunting rifle in hand.

You are absolutely right about that...

my parents know the Ranger
his take of course "just doing my job"

good thing the locals could help out then..

I wonder.

I posted on here about the one time I used my truck to herd a fleeing felon. The police were pretty thankful for the help.

Several other times I have stopped and taken over with livestock on the freeway and the police were very thankful.

There was the case in East Texas a few years ago where a DPS trooper was being marched into the woods to be executed and a local hunter killed the criminal. DPS was very thankful.

I would imagine that if two patrolmen were in a gun battle and I pulled over and got out my 30-30 or an M1A1 and helped them with some defilade fire, they'd appreciate it.

Help that is thoughtful, controlled, and professional and done where the police can see you are helping THEM and IF they really needed it, should be appreciated.

austin wrote:I would imagine that if two patrolmen were in a gun battle and I pulled over and got out my 30-30 or an M1A1 and helped them with some defilade fire, they'd appreciate it.

When I first read "M1A1" the first thing that came to mind was a Abrams Tank (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M1_Abrams)



..but then realized you probably mean the Thompson SMG (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thompson_submachine_gun).

Whew. A SMG is a lot of firepower, but man, that mental picture of coming to LEO assist with a battle tank was something else.

Velocity wrote:When I first read "M1A1" the first thing that came to mind was a Abrams Tank (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M1_Abrams)



..but then realized you probably mean the Thompson SMG (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thompson_submachine_gun).

Interesting how different minds react differently to the same information. I had not even considered either of those two until you posted. I assumed he meant the Springfield Armory M1A, as in the .308 semi-automatic rifle.

I did not even notice the 1 on the end of his nomenclature until you said something.

Smokewagon, Do you have a link to the picture and any other information relating to the citizen participation in this event?

That would be nice. I remember them in the Lubbock AJ. One of the Comp gurus w/ some time might help us.

GlockenHammer wrote:Smokewagon, Do you have a link to the picture and any other information relating to the citizen participation in this event?

A rather long “read�, but a good accounting of the “Tower Shooting�.



http://www.crimelibrary.com/notorious_m ... dex_1.html

By now word of what was happening had spread, and police began returning fire toward the Tower, trying to pick off Charlie as he rose up over the parapet to take aim. Citizens went home and got their own guns, and hundreds of shots chipped away at the Tower in the next hour.

When I moved to Austin in 1969 there was still much talk about the shooting, the horror of it remained on peoples minds for many years. At that time….you could go down to the “drag� and still see bullet holes/marks on the sidewalks and buildings (a stark reminder of the incident).


Flint.

Here is a link to the article with picture.

http://lubbockonline.com/stories/041707 ... 7073.shtml

Smokewagon wrote:Here is a link to the article with picture.

http://lubbockonline.com/stories/041707 ... 7073.shtml

yet another newspaper that REQUIRES registration before you can see the article...

kw5kw wrote:

Smokewagon wrote:Here is a link to the article with picture.

http://lubbockonline.com/stories/041707 ... 7073.shtml

yet another newspaper that REQUIRES registration before you can see the article...

try this http://www.bugmenot.com