Charles Whitman's Guns (UT Sniper)

[azkcr]

That's what makes it so interesting to some. Morbid curiosity peaks human interest and the story of this tragedy is a popular one. I myself enjoy researching the Chernobyl meltdown, not because of the death but because of the aftermath and damage to the infrastructure. I suppose that's why apocalyptic movies are so popular.

To the OP: good luck on your search. It seems all too convenient that the records were lost in that fire. Does the man know where the buyer lives?

-PAK-

Wow, that's the first unsarcastic thing I've seen you post.

Chernobyl? Don't get me started

Once in a blue moon I'll slip up

I'd like to start a thread on Chernobyl. I started a thread last year about abandoned buildings and shipwrecks. There was some good discussion and plenty of amazing pictures.

-PAK-

If you give me a minute, I'll bore you to death with the engineering side of Chernobyl. Look what I did to London's lawnmower thread!

(seriously, look)

You see the Vice doc on Chernobyl?

Charlie.... Do you see what you have done?
You have taken it from looking for guns in TX to a nuclear disaster halfway around the world.... Not even close to the same time periods....
No beer for you tonight

 

[breakingcontact]

Charlie.... Do you see what you have done?
You have taken it from looking for guns in TX to a nuclear disaster halfway around the world.... Not even close to the same time periods....
No beer for you tonight

Let's bring it back home and put it in the shed!

That UT shooter had a brain tumor. He told a doc before he went on his rampage about his messed up head.

 

[azkcr]

I vaguely remember learning about that.
If only we could be captain hindsight in all these types of situations.
"He should have had proper treatment and hospitalized! Up up, and awaaaaayyyyy!!!"

 

[breakingcontact]

I vaguely remember learning about that.
If only we could be captain hindsight in all these types of situations.
"He should have had proper treatment and hospitalized! Up up, and awaaaaayyyyy!!!"

Eh just find it interesting that the story is almost the same then as now. There were warning signs.

I truly feel badly for truly mentally ill people. Perhaps if our joke of a mental health system actually focused on those with legit physiological problems that produce mental illness they could better treat it? Instead they jack every other person up on drugs and get them hooked into the system.

Of course bad things have always happened and always will.

 

[breakingcontact]

As far as where the guns are? I figured the state would have them in a warehouse somewhere. Is it morbid to want to possess things that were close to criminals or famous crimes? I dont know. I wouldn't be scared to own or hold a gun such as these as its just an object but at the same time im not going to seek them out.

 

[Charlie]

Charlie.... Do you see what you have done?
You have taken it from looking for guns in TX to a nuclear disaster halfway around the world.... Not even close to the same time periods....
No beer for you tonight

You talkin' to me? This is my first post in this thread.

 

[rsayloriii]

Let's bring it back home and put it in the shed!

That UT shooter had a brain tumor. He told a doc before he went on his rampage about his messed up head.

Hmmm... sounds familiar to what has happened recently. If we could have only learned from our history instead of burying it and pretending it didn't happen.

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[matefrio]

Charles Whitman | Shooting | Murderpedia, the encyclopedia of murderers

 

[sonuvaTXgun]

You talkin' to me? This is my first post in this thread.

He's talking to me. My name is Charlie and we're brothers.

-PAK-

 

[azkcr]

As far as where the guns are? I figured the state would have them in a warehouse someñwhere. Is it morbid to want to possess things that were close to criminals or famous crimes? I dont know. I wouldn't be scared to own or hold a gun such as these as its just an object but at the same time im not going to seek them out.

True.

You talkin' to me? This is my first post in this thread.

Lol. No, I was talking to sonofaTXgun Charlie. The uglier one

 

[Charlie]

He's talking to me. My name is Charlie and we're brothers.

-PAK-

Oh, OK, glad to know. I get accused of enough chit anyway, I need no help!

 

[Charlie]

True.


Lol. No, I was talking to sonofaTXgun Charlie. The uglier one

Uglier one? You haven't seen me yet!

 

[azkcr]

He's talking to me. My name is Charlie and we're brothers.

-PAK-

Oh, OK, glad to know. I get accused of enough chit anyway, I need no help!

Uglier one? You haven't seen me yet!

Truth.

And I can get his beer taken away. I don't think I would want to keep it away from you lol

 

[Charlie]

Truth.

And I can get his beer taken away. I don't think I would want to keep it away from you lol

Truth.

 

[sonuvaTXgun]

Truth.

And I can get his beer taken away. I don't think I would want to keep it away from you lol

The beauty of being 21 is that I can buy my own. You and dad owe me anyway. Lol

-PAK-

 

[John Stanley]

Okay, ya'll, sorry it took me so long to get to this but you guys make some excellent points and ask some good questions. I'll try to answer them.

Whitman's guns were auctioned off right after his death to settle his estate. He had debt and had written bad checks for some of the items he acquired before going up on the Tower. Now, an oil guy in Wichita Falls, TX bought the guns in 1966 and I have no idea what he paid for them. I had a chance to talk to Houston McCoy (the police officer that scrambled Whitman's brains with two rounds of buckshot) in Menard, TX. Houston is now deceased and developed a drinking problem and smoked a lot and that led to his death but he was the nicest guy I ever met and went through the whole story with me of the shooting. I distinctly remember asking Houston what happened to the guns and he said a guy in Wichita Falls bought them. Okay, here is where the story gets interesting. A gun and pawn shop owner named Wayne Buxton bought the guns from the oil guy in Wichita Falls. Apparently the oil millionaire had a HUGE collection at his estate sale but Buxton was only interested in the sniper's guns. So, thinking he could make a profit, he low balled the auction attorneys at a measly 1000 bucks! Buxton, whom I talked with on the phone about a week ago in search of these guns never dreamed he'd win that bid but he got a call and won!! No one wanted them and, by the way, this is in 1989. Buxton, according to news articles, ran an ad in Shotgun News for the sale of the guns wanting 5,000 dollars for them. A guy came along and offered 4500 and Buxton took it because he wanted to get rid of them as fast as possible! The media was hounding him, he was getting threatening phone calls at all hours etc. Here is the article article from the 1989 Orlando Sentinel:

"The seven guns that Charles Whitman carried...

SNIPER'S GUNS.


July 14, 1989
AUSTIN, Texas — SNIPER'S GUNS. The seven guns that Charles Whitman carried to the top of the University of Texas Tower in 1966 in a bloody rampage that left 14 dead and 31 wounded are being offered for sale by a Dallas-area gun collector. For the gun dealer, Wayne Buxton of Richardson, the advertisement he bought in a gun collector's publication has brought an annoying amount of attention and curiosity. ''I have no interest whatsoever in resurrecting pain or any sad feelings,'' he said. The sale of the three rifles, one shotgun and three pistols has brought back painful memories for some, but at least one of Whitman's shooting victims said he recognizes the historical value of the firearms and does not begrudge the dealer his profit. Buxton would not reveal how he got the weapons or how long he has owned them. Robert Heard, who in 1966 was seriously wounded by Whitman while covering the massacre for The Associated Press, said of the sale, ''They are of historical value. It doesn't bother me. I don't begrudge him the deal.''

Well Buxton was 52 at the time and that sale was 25 years ago and makes him a man in in 70s today. He is telling the truth about his original shop burning down and he didn't care too much about the purchaser, he just wanted to make his profit and get away from it all. All he remembered was that the guy was in his 30s to 40s and lived in a small town....not one of our major cities like Houston or Dallas. I hope that clears things up and I'll be happy to answer anymore questions and if you guys locate these guns somehow it would be great. By the way, I asked Buxton how he was able to legally sell the sawed off shotgun. He explained that if the barrel is removed from the stock at can be sold- at least at that time.

 

[35Remington]

Let's bring it back home and put it in the shed!

That UT shooter had a brain tumor. He told a doc before he went on his rampage about his messed up head.

Truth. Here's some more. He was the Scoutmaster of my Boy Scout troop that year. They were supposed to take a trip to Philmont, a camp in New Mexico, that summer. At the last second, Whitman backed out of the trip. The scouts still went. While they were gone, he went to the tower and committed the shooting.

 

[Dawico]

I am just curious John Stanley, do you have any connection to the shooter, victims, or any other part of the story? I am just wondering about your search for the guns and what happened to them.

 

[Mikeinhistory]

You should try poking around on gun boards.com they are mostly collectors and someone there might have an idea of where to start. Some of them have literally written books on some arms and subjects so they have access to all kinds of info.


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[Armybrat]

I had a first hand look at that scoped Remington 6mm as he was using it to do his evil work. I've posted my eyewitness account elsewhere and will try to repost it here. I was attending summer school at UT in '66 and was watching it all from a 21st Street parking lot where the Dobie Center high rise is located now.

I didn't know any of the fatality victims, but a family friend was shot in the hand as she was trying to help her two good friends who were shot dead next to her as they walked down the Drag. A city utility worker was shot to death about a half block east of me near the Littlefield Fountains. Afterwards, we stepped around the pools of blood on the south Mall in front of the Tower. Pretty gruesome & sad.

Doesn't bother me that somebody wants to collect Whitman's firearms - they are historical artifacts.