After Osama bin Laden was killed three weeks ago, we visited about “snapshot moments,” those instants when we heard about major news events that are imprinted on our memories forever.

I related a few of my own snapshot moments — the Kennedy assassination and 9/11, for instance — and asked if anyone else wanted to share.

Here’s a spellbinding story from Tribune-Herald reader Robert Ray:

“This snapshot moment is a bit different. I did not hear about it: I was there and involved in it.

“On August 1, 1966, I was in graduate school at the University of Texas. I was working on a research and writing project. I usually used the main library (the Tower) for my work, but this day I needed to look at material in the Undergraduate Library, just next to the Tower.

“About noon I was coming down the stairs to go out for lunch. Just as I was about to step outside, people came rushing in telling everyone to stay inside. They said someone was shooting at people.

“We found out that the shots were coming from the top of the Tower. I could see from out the large windows of the library that several people were huddled against walls and under trees to stay out of the shooter’s sight. Bullets were raining down in all areas.

“. . . Finally, two brave law officers ascended to the observation deck of the Tower and confronted and killed the sniper.

“When word was given that he had been killed, people suddenly came from everywhere, a mass of humanity, and gathered at the ground-floor entrance to the Tower. The shooter was later identified as Charles Whitman.

“. . . Needless to say, that incident is an indelible memory.”

Charles Whitman killed 14 people from the Tower that day and after the ordeal was finished, police discovered that he had killed his wife and mother at home before going to the UT campus. A number of writers consider Whitman the forerunner in a horrific lineup of contemporary American mass murderers.

Now let’s move on to another snapshot moment. This one came from Dwight L. Thomas of Marlin:

“I had a snapshot moment when I was serving in Korea during the war — only my snapshot moment was delayed.

“The event, May 11, 1953, was when the tornado hit Waco. That was a shocking moment, but the snapshot delay occurred seven days later when I received a postal card from a ham radio operator stating that my wife and family were all OK.

“. . . Yes, I heard about the May 11 tornado in Waco that day and I had to wait for seven days before hearing my wife and family were safe. Seven days of sweating it out and not knowing what might have happened to them. Whew!”

Joanne Patranella, a Bryan reader, recalled a couple of chilling snapshot moments from her childhood:

“I remember when Bobby Kennedy was shot — my mom came in and woke me up as we were on summer vacation. I will never forget the look on her face that morning, and how we felt when we found he had died.

“One more moment I remember clearly was being in the car with my family in 1967 when we heard about the fire on Apollo I when three astronauts perished. It was hard to believe and heartbreaking.”

Thanks to our readers for sharing. Here’s to a future with many more happy snapshot moments than sad ones.

Donnis Baggett is publisher of the Waco Tribune-Herald . Email him at dbaggett@wacotrib.com.