City of Austin

Houston McCoy, the retired Austin Police Officer who shot and killed the UT Tower sniper after a deadly rampage on Aug. 1, 1966, has passed away. The shooter killed 16 people (including Austin Police Officer Billy Speed) and injured 32 others during a shooting spree on the UT campus.

“It is with a heavy heart that I report the passing of former APD Officer Houston McCoy,” said APD Chief Art Acevedo. “I was privileged to have met and spent time with Houston and his wonderful family the past few years and will miss him dearly. Please take a moment to pray for Houston and his family.”

McCoy was known for being humble, kind and sensitive and was quick to point out that he was not the only officer to help end Whitman’s rampage.

"I have been asked many times how the ’66 UT tower incident affected my life,” McCoy said in a 2011 Austin American-Statesman article. “Although it was a significant moment, it was, but only one reflection of my life and did not dictate my overall character. When momentous events occur in one’s life, you no longer know life without it; that is our journey. With or without August 1, 1966, I know I am loved by my family and respected by many friends, what else can a man ask for? Being surrounded by my loving family and friends – I  go peacefully to more family and friends in the great beyond and know they will escort me to meet my maker.”

Funeral arrangements for McCoy are pending.