“I had just graduated from UT and was working for the Hogg Foundation for Mental Health on the 24th floor of the Tower the day of the shooting. Never having been around guns, when we heard the first shots, it sounded to me like lots of metal folding chairs being collapsed on a concrete floor.
We heard the family he shot first yelling, ‘Help me, help me, help me.’
My boss, who was a retired Lt. Col. from the Air Force opened the door to the stairway and saw all the smoke. We didn’t know what was going on, but barricaded ourselves in two corner offices and put the furniture up against the doors. The only other man who worked at the Foundation was also retired military, so he recognized the shooting for what it was.
When the shooter stopped mid-attack to reload, we were afraid he was coming down the stairs.
There was only one occupied floor above us before you reach the observation deck. We would look out the windows and see people fall, and then hear the shot.
We tried to warn people, but were so far up that they couldn’t hear us.
We saw people fall as far away as the Varsity Theater at 24th and Guadalupe. All in all, it was a terrifying day, one that I will never forget.”