AUSTIN – Former Austin police Officer Houston McCoy was only 26 the day the nation would deal with its first mass shooting.
McCoy was one of a handful of men to climb the tower on Aug. 1, 1966, where Charles Whitman was shooting at innocent people below.
Along with Officer Ramiro Martinez, McCoy was able to shoot and kill Whitman, stopping him from killing anyone else.
Houston McCoy's daughter, Monika McCoy, said her father never spoke much about that day, but when he did, he would say he wished he would have gone up the tower sooner.
"He felt like if he would have gotten up there sooner, he could have saved his friend and fellow officer from getting shot that day," Monika McCoy said.
That fellow officer was Billy Speed. Speed was shot and killed by Whitman while trying to get inside.
Houston McCoy would eventually leave the Austin Police Department to pursue his passion of flying, and later became a flight instructor.
It wasn't until the 40th anniversary of the shooting that all those affected by the events of that day were able to gather again at the tower and finally talk about what happened.
"What's very important is for people to be able to come together and find healing, closure and peace," Monika McCoy said.
Houston McCoy died in 2012. A year later, his daughter followed in his footstep and became an Austin police officer.
"It's the best job I've ever had in my life," she said. "It's a dream come true and it's very ironic that I got his old beat."
Houston McCoy didn't want to be called a hero, but he did believe there were more than one hero that day.
"My father has stated many times that if there was one hero that day, there were a thousand heroes that day," McCoy said.
The 14 victims were honored with a memorial Monday at the University of Texas.