In the summer of 1976, Joseph Goulart, a 56-year-old male freelance news photographer, found his life tragically cut short in Wichita, Kansas. For nearly three decades, he had been a familiar presence in the local media scene, originally hailing from Boston, Massachusetts. On August 11th, he was heading towards a developing news story, a sniper incident unfolding in downtown Wichita, a journey from which he would not return.
He was discovered in the front seat of his car, slumped over and bloodied, by a summer intern reporter from the Wichita Eagle and Beacon.
The source of the gunfire was a 19-year-old named Michael Soles, who had traveled to Wichita from Sand Springs, Oklahoma, in search of employment. Described by those who knew him as a quiet and religious young man, Soles was staying with a minister who was a friend of his family. On that fateful day, he positioned himself atop a downtown motel and began firing indiscriminately. His actions resulted in the deaths of two individuals and left seven others wounded.
Alongside Joseph Goulart, another man, 57-year-old Elmer W. Hensley, a glass company employee, also lost his life in the senseless act of violence. Law enforcement officers responded to the scene and, in an exchange of gunfire, shot and wounded Soles before taking him into custody. The news of his actions sent shockwaves through his family, who expressed their disbelief, stating that he was a non-violent and deeply religious person. They revealed that he had recently been accepted to a college in Wichita but had made the decision to go back to Oklahoma. The motive behind the tragic and violent outburst that claimed the lives of Joseph Goulart and Elmer W. Hensley remains unclear.
