Independent Lens

TOWER

In 1966, a gunman rode the elevator to the 27th floor of the University of Texas Tower and opened fire. TOWER, a documentary mixing animated and live-action, shares the untold story of America's first mass school shooting, when the worst in one man brought out the best in so many others.

Pregnant Freshman Recalls the Moment She Was Shot

1m 34s

In this excerpt from Independent Lens documentary TOWER, Claire, a pregnant, 18-year-old freshman at the time, gives us a sense of the moments on the University of Texas campus on August 1, 1966, when her and her boyfriend, were hit by a sniper's bullet.

Previews + Extras

  • Keith Maitland and Claire Wilson James Talk About TOWER: asset-mezzanine-16x9

    Keith Maitland and Claire Wilson James Talk About TOWER

    S18 E9 - 2m

    Keith Maitland's TOWER reveals the untold stories of the witnesses, heroes, and survivors of America’s first mass school shooting, at the University of Texas, 1966. Here Maitland talks about the film's unique production which combined archival footage with rotoscope animation, while survivor Claire Wilson James, the first person shot that day, talks about being able to finally tell her story.

  • Like a Battle Scene: asset-mezzanine-16x9

    Like a Battle Scene

    S18 E9 - 1m 57s

    This excerpt from Independent Lens documentary TOWER captures the chaos that took place at The University of Texas on August 1, 1966 as a gunman continues his rampage, firing with a high-powered rifle indiscriminately down to the campus below.

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