On a tragic September morning in Louisville, Kentucky, Richard Owen Barger, a 54-year-old man, lost his life in a senseless act of violence that unfolded at his workplace. The events of September 14, 1989, at the Standard Gravure printing plant would leave an indelible mark on the community, as a former employee exacted a deadly rampage.
The perpetrator, 47-year-old Joseph T. Wesbecker, had been on a long-term disability leave from the company due to a history of mental illness.
That morning, he returned to the plant armed with a small arsenal of weapons, including a semi-automatic rifle. Shortly after 8:30 a.m., Wesbecker began a methodical and terrifying assault that would last for approximately half an hour. He moved through the three-story building, from the executive offices on the third floor to the pressroom, firing at his former colleagues.
During the chaotic and horrifying ordeal, Barger was one of eight employees fatally shot by Wesbecker. Twelve other individuals were wounded in the attack. The rampage concluded when Wesbecker turned a weapon on himself, ending his own life. Because the lone gunman committed suicide at the scene, no arrests were made in connection with the multiple homicides. The incident was a profound tragedy for the city of Louisville and the families of all the victims, including the family of Richard Owen Barger.
