“I was in a German class on the second floor of Batts Hall when we started hearing popping noises. One of the students in class commented: ‘It sounds like Scholz’s has started their celebration early.’ (Scholz’s Beer Garten was scheduled to have a celebration, including fireworks, starting about noon.)
A few minutes later, a police officer appeared at our classroom door and told us someone was shooting at people from the Tower and that we needed to stay away from the window and evacuate the building. Naturally, since our classroom faced the Tower, most of us gathered at the windows, which were covered by blinds and we peeked through the cracks. I could see shots being fired from the top of the Tower as well as puffs where bullets were hitting the rock wall near the top of the Tower.
Out on the concrete in front of the Tower, I could see several victims: some were moving and others were deathly still.
In the street below our window an ambulance was parked behind the cover of the stone wall. There was a young, heavy-set man wearing blue jeans and a white t-shirt dashing out onto the mall and dragging victims to cover.
I never learned the young man’s name, but I will never forget his heroism.
The police officer returned and insisted we leave the room.”