In the spring of 2017, a deeply tragic event unfolded in Topeka, Kansas, forever altering the lives of several families. On the quiet Sunday of April 30th, 20-year-old Soren Galvez, a male of Filipino descent, was at a local residence that served as an in-home care facility for individuals with special needs. He was there with his 64-year-old father, Jesus Galvez, and 29-year-old Larry Gueary, all of whom worked at the home.
The property was owned by Soren's sister, Gina Allen, and her husband, Jonathan. They were engaged in maintenance work, a routine task that gave no hint of the violence that was to come.
Without warning, the peaceful atmosphere of the home was shattered by a deadly attack. The assailant was 25-year-old Joshua Gueary, the brother of Larry Gueary. For reasons that remain unclear to the public, Joshua opened fire, fatally wounding his own brother, as well as Soren and Jesus Galvez. In the wake of the horrific act, with three lives tragically cut short, Joshua Gueary then took his own life. The motive behind the devastating outburst has never been fully clarified by authorities, leaving a painful void of unanswered questions for the surviving family members and the community.
In the aftermath of the shooting, as news of the tragedy spread, an outpouring of grief and shock enveloped the Topeka community. Friends and family took to social media to share their memories of the victims and to express their sorrow. The investigation that followed confirmed the identities of the deceased and the sequence of events. With the suspect also deceased, no arrests were made in connection with the killings. The incident left an indelible mark on the city, a stark reminder of the sudden and profound impact of violence. Soren Galvez, a young man with his life ahead of him, along with his father and a colleague, were mourned by those who knew them as the community grappled with the senseless loss.
