Charles Joseph Whitman was born on June 24, 1941, in Lake Worth, Florida. He was the oldest of three sons born to Margaret E. Hodges and Charles Adolphus Whitman Jr. His father had a difficult early life, having been raised in an orphanage in Savannah, Georgia. He was known to be strict and abusive towards his family. Whitman's mother, Margaret, married at the young age of 17. Their home was marked by domestic violence, and Whitman's father expected excellence from his children, often using physical and emotional punishment.

As a child, Charles was polite and rarely lost his temper. At the age of six, he was tested and found to have an IQ of 139, which indicated he was extremely intelligent. His parents encouraged him to excel in school, but any sign of failure or lack of effort was met with strict discipline, particularly from his father. Margaret was a devout Roman Catholic and raised her sons in the same faith. They regularly attended Mass together, and all three brothers served as altar boys at their church.

Whitman's father had a passion for firearms and taught his sons about shooting and hunting. Charles became a skilled marksman and enjoyed hunting. He was noted to have impressive accuracy with a rifle from a young age. He also joined the Boy Scouts of America at age 11, achieving the rank of Eagle Scout by the age of twelve, which made him one of the youngest to do so at that time. Additionally, he became an accomplished pianist around the same age.

In September 1955, Whitman started attending St. Ann's High School in West Palm Beach. He was a moderately popular student and used money from his newspaper route to buy a motorcycle. After graduating high school in June 1959, where he ranked seventh in a class of 72, he enlisted in the United States Marine Corps without informing his father beforehand. This decision came shortly after an incident where his father physically assaulted him. Whitman began his military service with an assignment in Guantánamo Bay, Cuba.

During his time in the Marines, Whitman excelled and earned a sharpshooter's badge and the Marine Corps Expeditionary Medal. After eighteen months, he applied for a scholarship to attend college. He passed the necessary exams and was accepted into a preparatory school in Maryland. He later transferred to the University of Texas at Austin to study mechanical engineering.

At UT Austin, his academic performance started off poorly, but he developed interests in various hobbies like karate, scuba diving, and hunting. He gained notoriety for practical jokes among his peers but also made some unsettling comments. In February 1962, he met Kathleen Frances Leissner, and after five months of dating, they became engaged. They married on August 17, 1962, in a Catholic ceremony.

Whitman’s college studies were interrupted when he was called back to active duty in February 1963. He was stationed at Camp Lejeune in North Carolina. While there, he faced disciplinary actions for gambling and other issues. In December 1964, he was honorably discharged from the Marines and returned to the University of Texas, enrolling once again in school.

Whitman struggled with personal issues during his life, including conflicts related to his parents' marriage. In May 1966, his mother decided to leave his father due to ongoing abuse. Whitman was supportive of his mother's decision and helped her move to Austin, where she began a new life. During this time of stress, Whitman started using amphetamines and developed severe headaches.

On August 1, 1966, Charles Joseph Whitman committed a series of murders that began shortly after midnight. He first went to his mother's apartment, where he killed her. Reports suggest that he rendered her unconscious before stabbing her in the heart. He then placed her body on the bed and covered it with sheets. A note was left beside her body expressing his love for her and remorse for what he had done.

After leaving his mother's apartment, Whitman returned home and killed his wife while she slept. He stabbed her five times in the chest and also covered her body with sheets. Whitman continued to write in his suicide note, indicating that he had completed the act against both of his loved ones.

Later that day, Whitman drove to the University of Texas at Austin. He entered the Main Building of the campus and falsely identified himself to a security guard. He then made his way to the 28th floor of the clock tower. Armed with multiple firearms, he started shooting from the observation deck at people below. His rampage lasted for about 96 minutes.

During this time, Whitman killed 15 people and wounded 31 others before he was ultimately shot and killed by Austin police officers who responded to the scene. The total number of fatalities from his actions reached 17, including a victim who died years later from injuries related to the attack.