Hello and welcome to the Witness Podcast from the BBC World Service.

I'm Elizabeth Davis and today I'm taking you back to August 1, 1966

and the first mass shooting on an American campus at the University of Texas in the state

capital, Austin.

I've been speaking to Ray Martinez, who was a local police officer at the time.

He was 29 years old and off duty at home when he first heard

that there was something going on at the university. I was listening to the

12 o'clock news when Bulletin was handed to the anchor.

He informed the public that there was a person on top of the University of Texas Tower

shooting and that there were some unconfirmed reports that there were some people

that had been injured.

As soon as the reports were confirmed, Ray Martinez rang his police station to see if there was anything he could do.

I asked the lieutenant if they needed some assistance and he says go to the campus area and

we're keeping traffic away from the university area. Of course it took me a

quile to get to the campus and on the way I was listening to the radio station.

One of those who's out of breath now after running out onto the mall

rescuing those who've been shot is Brian Ellison of Austin who has been in Vietnam has been back for two years.

Brian how many have you gone out to rescue?

Today, T. What did you have to do?

Run hard and keep low.

The last one, he was dead, he was dead.

He was dead.

...