Tower Page #2

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[gunshots]

I heard reports

that I recognized as gunshots

but I could not tell

where they were coming from.

[gunshot]

- I didn't know

what had happened at all.

[gunshot]

I thought that I felt

the baby kind of...

fall to the side?

So I thought he probably

wasn't alive any longer.

You know, by the eighth month

your baby's moving a lot

and...after I got shot,

the baby never moved.

"Tom?" I called out to him.

Tom...

But Tom never said

another word.

[cries]

[country Western music]

- You know, I-I thought

it was already over with.

Lawman gets there,

and by then

it's usually over with,

you know?

- Texas

You know that we love you

And we praise you

We want you to know

[gunshot]

[radio clicks off]

- Then I-I finally realized

something was happening

that I ain't ever seen before.

[loud gunshot]

I just thought--There's

a thousand windows up there,

and a thousand Black Panthers.

A revolution.

[gunshot]

And the hair just stood up

on the back of my neck.

[gunshot]

And I must say I was scared.

It was bigger than me.

[Tower bell ringing]

- There's a guy on top

of the Tower and he's shooting.

Shooting at people.

- I told the disc jockey

on duty. I says,

"Give us some news intro music

and throw it to me."

[news intro music]

And I'll take it

from there.

I began my broadcast as I was

driving up to the Tower.

"This is Neal Spelce

in Red Rover

"on the University of Texas

campus.

"This is a warning

to the citizens of Austin.

"Stay away from

the University area.

"There is a sniper

on the University Tower

"firing at will."

[gunshot]

- Well, I was just expecting

another routine day.

I had dropped my daughters

off at daycare,

my wife was at work,

and my shift didn't start

until 3:
00 P.M.

- ...Clean look

to your carpets.

This Austin vacuum rebuilt

Hoover beats as it sweeps--

- This is a KLRN

news bulletin.

A sniper with

a high-powered rifle

has taken up a position

on the observation deck

of the Tower on the campus

of the University of Texas.

- So I got on the telephone.

- Police operator.

- Hey, this is Martinez.

Do they need anybody?

- Pardon me?

- And I called the station.

This is Martinez.

Do they need anybody?

- Captain Martinez is on.

Do you want him to come out?

[gunshot]

Uh, yes, Sir.

He'd, uh, he'd like you

to come on out if you will.

- Okay, I'll be right over.

- Okay, that's

at the University.

- Then I called my wife

at work and I said,

"Dear, I'm gonna go there.

"But don't worry 'cause

I'm gonna go work traffic."

- I couldn't get back

across the street

because I figured

I might get shot myself.

I moved on

to the next building.

[gunshot]

I tried to find

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