Lourdes Hernandez, a 47-year-old Hispanic female, had her life tragically cut short on the morning of Friday, July 15, 2016, in what was determined to be a murder-suicide. Known to her friends as an infectious and happy person who gave 150 percent of herself, she worked as an administrative assistant in Wichita, Kansas. Her friends and family remember her as a sweet, kind, and beautiful soul who lit up when she spoke of her two children, who were her world.
The morning of her death, her
ex-husband, Carlos Salas, 46, arrived at her duplex in the 1500 block of South Goebel. The couple's divorce had been finalized only months prior, and he was reportedly there to drop off some property. An argument is said to have preceded the fatal shooting, though their daughter, who was present in the home at the time, later stated on social media that there was no verbal altercation before the gunshots. Shortly before 7:30 a.m., Carlos Salas shot Lourdes multiple times in the upper torso before turning the gun on himself.
Their daughter called 911, and when officers arrived, they found Carlos Salas deceased at the scene and Lourdes Hernandez in critical condition with multiple gunshot wounds. She was rushed to a local hospital, where she succumbed to her injuries later that morning. Friends indicated that her ex-husband had been increasingly depressed following the divorce and the limited time he was able to spend with their children. The incident was classified as the 13th homicide of the year in Wichita. Police identified the perpetrator as her ex-husband, and the case was closed as a murder-suicide, eliminating the search for any other suspects.
