August 1, 1966. Standing atop the University of Texas at Austin iconic clock tower, 25-year-old engineering student Charles Whitman holds a high powered rifle and sprays the campus with gunfire for a terrifying 96 minutes. By day's end, Whitman and 16 others are dead. The carnage constitutes the first major shooting on an American campus. This August, on the 50th anniversary of the Tower Shooting, the University of Texas at Austin is confronted with a very different challenge: implementing SB11, the latest gun law out of the Texas Legislature that allows students to carry concealed weapons on campus and in classrooms. Tamron Hall, co-host of NBC News' TODAY and anchor of MSNBC LIVE with Tamron Hall, as well as host of Investigation Discovery's (ID) hit series DEADLINE: CRIME, brings her signature reporting style to the all-new special, GUNS ON CAMPUS: TAMRON HALL INVESTIGATES. Produced by NBC News' Peacock Productions, GUNS ON CAMPUS: TAMRON HALL INVESTIGATES premieres on Sunday, August 7 at 10/9c only on ID.
"In a country with a history of more than 270 school shootings, will putting more guns in the hands of students and faculty prevent bloodshed, or be the cause of further death and injury?" poses Hall. "Is there common ground which might provide a path forward towards school safety or will ideological opposition prevent progress? I am eager to probe all of these questions and more to help provide some context - historical, legislative and personal - to this multi-faceted debate."
"Tamron's ability to connect with viewers through her unique - and very personal - storytelling approach is the reason why we chose her to tackle this very controversial - indeed, nation-dividing - topic of guns on college campuses," said Henry Schleiff, Group President, Investigation Discovery,
AMERICAN HEROES CHANNEL and Destination America. "Tamron does an incredible job of explaining the
FRAMEWORK behind this complex issue which will leave you questioning your position - regardless of what side of the issue you are on."
"Unfortunately, it is all too often that tragic incidents involving guns on college campus make headlines," said Sharon Scott, President General Manager of Peacock Productions. "By sharing with viewers the many sides of this polarizing issue, we hope the conversation continues in a meaningful and impactful way."
In this groundbreaking and revealing one-hour special, Hall visits the campus of University of Texas Austin to speak to first-responders and witnesses of the 1966 Tower Shooting, as well as the current stakeholders of SB11. From Chancellor William McRaven - a former Navy SEAL who helped plot the raid that killed Osama bin Laden - to university professors, to students who hold views on all sides of the issue, Hall investigates the importance of securing one's personal safety, and the rights of students over the age of 21 to carry concealed weapons on public property.
The conversation doesn't stop in Texas. In a powerful interview, Hall brings together Virginia Tech
SURVIVOR and anti-gun violence advocate Colin Goddard, and University of Nevada rape survivor, Amanda Collins, who is an advocate for campus carry, to lay out their positions behind this controversial debate among college campuses.
GUNS ON CAMPUS: TAMRON HALL INVESTIGATES is produced for
Investigation Discovery by
NBC News' Peacock Productions with Elizabeth Fischer, Knute Walker and Melody Shafir as executive producers and Sharon Scott as President and General Manager. For Investigation Discovery, Eugenie Vink is executive producer, Sara Kozak is senior vice president of production, Kevin Bennett is general manager, and Henry Schleiff is Group President of Investigation Discovery,
AMERICAN HEROES CHANNEL and Destination America.
About Peacock Productions Peacock Productions, a division of
NBC News, is a nonfiction production company that combines the editorial expertise, technical resources, and seasoned talent of NBCUniversal to create series, events, and live specials for global audiences. Peacock Productions reaches more than 300 million people worldwide every year across broadcast, cable, syndication, and emerging platforms with its award-winning specials and series. Sharon Scott is the President and General Manager. For more information, visit: http://www.peacockproductions.tv/
About
Investigation Discovery Investigation Discovery (ID) is the leading mystery and suspense network on television. From harrowing crimes and salacious scandals to in-depth investigations and heart-breaking mysteries, the nation's premier true crime network showcases intriguing and riveting Real People, Real Stories. One of the fastest growing cable networks in the U.S., ID delivers the highest-quality programming to more than 85 million U.S. households and is available in both high definition (HD) and standard definition (SD). For more information, please visit InvestigationDiscovery.com, facebook.com/InvestigationDiscovery, or twitter.com/DiscoveryID.
Investigation Discovery is part of Discovery Communications (Nasdaq: DISCA, DISCB, DISCK), the world's #1 pay-TV programmer reaching nearly 3 billion cumulative viewers in 220 countries and territories.
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