one August morning more than 30 years ago a 25-year-old college student peered over the edge of a 29-storey tower overlooking the quadrangle at the University of Texas in Austin, USA. A student of architectural engineering, Charles Whitman was considered a model citizen - a seemingly normal and happily married man who was a former altar boy and the youngest American to become an Eagle Scout. On this morning, however, Whitman had intentions that would later shock the world.
With a cart full of weapons Whitman gunned down 48 people, killing 17 and wounding 31 before he was shot and killed by police and vigilante crossfire. The American public were left wondering what on earth could have driven such a 'normal' man to commit this devastating act of violence. They were even more surprised, however, by the findings of an investigative team established to research Whitman's background. The verdict was very clear - a deprivation of normal play during childhood was a major contributing factor.
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