Tower Page #4

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- You are looking at

the University of Texas Tower

in Austin live.

There is a sniper

or more than one sniper

located on that ridge

right there under the clock.

One boy was shot while

sitting in the Union

through the window.

Two others have been

reported shot on the drag,

Guadalupe Street.

There are people hiding

behind trees

all over the University

of Texas campus.

Several are pinned down

behind retaining walls

in front of the main building.

People are warned

to stay out

of the University

of Texas area.

This is a live camera,

coming to you

from KLRN Channel 9.

- I really didn't know

what to expect.

- University Tower

observation deck...

Below the--Below the clock,

and is shooting.

He's shooting our direction.

We just saw a puff of smoke,

he's firing again.

It's a battle now.

It's a battle between

the sniper and the police.

- I could hear

all the shooting.

[gunshots]

[sirens wailing]

Hear the sirens.

I knew it was a disaster,

so to speak,

because the only ones

with sirens were ambulances.

[gunshot]

- I saw Officer Martinez

there at 21st Street.

Martinez!

Hey, Officer!

And I hollered out to him,

but he didn't hear me.

[gunshot]

- I tried to keep myself

from being able

to see the top of the Tower

because I knew if I could see

the top of the Tower,

the sniper could see me.

I ran until I got

to the South Mall

by the Jefferson Davis

statue.

[gunshot]

[gunshot]

There were wounded people...

and dead people,

people whose conditions

I did not know,

lying there on the sidewalk.

[gunshot]

[gunshots]

There was a pregnant woman

that was twisting

and wilting

in the hot sun.

My training in the army

had taught me

you establish a command post

right away.

Then your organize

an assault team.

[gunshot]

I thought maybe I could

go into the Tower

and assist the people

that were going there.

[gunshots]

My mission was to get

into the Tower.

- Don't worry.

- We're gonna be okay.

[gunshots]

- I'm tired.

- Yeah, it won't be

much longer now.

Don't worry.

- We lay there

and just talked...

[gunshot]

Which was kind of wonderful

because it kept me conscious.

And I don't know

what would've happened

had I been unconscious.

- Where did--Where did you go

to high school, Claire?

- I think we tried to talk

about who I was

and who Tom was.

- Claire, what classes...

What classes are you

taking this semester?

- I'm taking anthropology...

With Tom.

- Tell me about Tom.

- Tom Eckman.

I met Tom Eckman,

Thomas Frederick Eckman,

when I was beginning

the sixth month of my pregnancy.

- Yellow is the color

- And I was visibly,

noticeably pregnant.

- In the morning

- He was trying to figure out

whether I was pregnant

or just chubby.

- When we rise

- I thought

he was beautiful.

- That's the time

- That's the time

- That's the time

- That's the time

- He was kind of amazing

and wonderful.

I don't know,

we were just...in love.

You know, just really, totally

connected to each other.

He just talked to me

about everything.

About his whole life.

- In the morning

- He laughed a lot.

Played the banjo,

which was really cool.

He wanted to be a poet.

- That's the time

- That's the time

- That's the time

- I love the best

- And we were so happy.

We were just really,

really happy.

- Blue is the color

of the sky

- We just

couldn't stay apart,

so he moved in with us.

- In the morning

When we rise

- I don't know,

we just fell in love and...

As it turned out,

we decided

to register

for anthropology together.

- Claire, can you hear me?

Just breathe.

Stay with me, Claire.

Hey.

Can you hear me?

Stay with me, Claire.

Claire?

- Yeah?

- Can you hear me?

- Yeah.

- Yeah. That's a good girl.

[gunshot]

[busy signal]

You're okay.

[gunshot]

- I picked up the phone

and dialed the first number.

I got a busy signal

because everything

was jammed.

I just needed

to get upstairs

and find out

what the game plan was.

[elevator moving]

Oh, my God. I'm heartily sorry

for having offended thee.

I detest all my sins because

of thy just punishment,

most of all because

they offend thee.

My God, you are all good

and deserving of all my love.

I firmly resolve

with the help of thy grace

to sin no more and to avoid

the near occasions of sin.

[elevator stopping]

[elevator dings]

[all sigh]

- What's going on, Jerry?

- Hell, I don't know.

- It's good you're here.

- 90s, I need a unit

to meet the UT police

at the Security Building.

- Yeah, this is McCoy.

Go ahead.

- We need a unit to go

to the UT Security Building

and they'll go with him

to the 27th floor.

- Uh, okay, you said

the campus security booth?

- I'm meeting other officers?

- 25 to statewide.

- 10-4, I'm headed

that way now.

Here comes Connor,

Shoquist, Sheppard, and Moe,

and they had teargas guns.

And I asked Phillip. I said,

"Did you bring any shotguns?"

And he said no.

Wished he had.

- Claire? Claire?

Can you hear me still?

Look at me, Claire.

Look at me.

- She made sure

to keep me talking

so I wouldn't lose

consciousness.

- Don't worry.

We're gonna be okay.

- But it was getting harder

and harder for me to answer.

- Stay with me.

[gunshot]

Claire, just look at me.

- But she was persistent.

She kept asking me questions.

- It's okay, Claire.

- It was beautiful.

[gunshot]

A selfless act.

- I know it hurts,

but just hold on

a little longer.

[gunshot]

- You know,

the sun was directly overhead.

[gunshots]

I was dressed in all black,

like an idiot.

And I suddenly began

to feel dizzy.

Nauseous.

I was sick to my stomach,

and I was losing

my coordination.

She was so, so pregnant.

I could see her move.

I knew she was shot and hurt.

I crawled underneath

the hedges into the shade,

where it's a lot cooler

and quieter.

- It was endless waiting.

Endless terror.

[gunshot]

Disappointment

and hopelessness

that you're not able to do

anything to make it stop

or to help the people

that are suffering.

- Every 15 minutes...

[Tower bell rings]

The bell would ring from

the top of the UT Tower.

And I'd think,

"That's 15 more minutes.

"15 more minutes they were out

there on that hot concrete."

[gunshot]

- I think...

I just wanted

to close my eyes.

I tried not to move.

- Stay still.

It'll be okay, all right?

- I tried to just

act like I was dead

so he wouldn't

shoot me again.

The concrete was so hot

that at some point

I just decided,

"I can't take it anymore."

[gunshot]

- When I came out

from under those hedges,

I knew something

had to be done.

Someone had to go out there

and get 'em.

- I just remember

looking up at the sky.

It was so blue.

And just thinking...

"I guess this is it.

- "I guess this is the end."

- That's when I decided

to go out there.

And we had to move fast.

We knew that.

You can see

there was a camera.

Time moved strangely.

Slowly.

I grabbed Claire's feet.

James grabbed Claire's arms.

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