Long Echo
Reverberations from the Holiday Inn Sniper attack of '76
August 11, 1976. A 19-year-old man opened fire from the 26th floor of the tallest building in Wichita, Kansas. Three people died. Eight were injured. Many more effected. What happened next was never covered by a newspaper or a television news crew.
The effect of that day’s events has echoed across generations. Those who carry that loss are scattered across Kansas, from Atchison to Topeka, Kansas City and Wichita. Others across the country are still tied to that single afternoon in 1976. And increasingly, communities all over the U.S. are living the same long aftermath of violence.
Long Echo is a documentary film currently in production with a committed broadcast destination, exploring what happens to a community after the cameras leave and the silence moves in. Told through the voices of survivors, victims' families, witnesses, and the shooter himself - now more than 49 years into incarceration - this film doesn't revisit a crime. It reveals what grew out of it… in ways both heartbreaking and inspiring.
Vickie Horton and daughter Bridget have never fully gotten over the loss of father and grandfather Joe Goulart. But they've also experienced special moments that are hard to explain.
Vickie Horton and daughter Bridget have never fully gotten over the loss of father and grandfather Joe Goulart. But they've also experienced special moments that are hard to explain.
Kevin Patrick Allen is not only a filmmaker and investigative reporter, his father, Ralph H. Allen Jr., was the Sedgwick County jail chaplain in 1976. He ministered to the shooter in the days, months and years after the attack… not to excuse what he did, but to tend to what remained of the man. He encouraged him to write, to record, to reckon. Poetry. Music. Audio letters sent via tape cassette.
Over the years, Michael Ray Soles sent "audio letters" to late Jail Chaplain Allen. In recent months, Soles agreed to correspond with filmmaker Kevin Patrick Allen, providing a rare window into his life of 49 years behind bars.
Over the years, Michael Ray Soles sent "audio letters" to late Jail Chaplain Allen. In recent months, Soles agreed to correspond with filmmaker Kevin Patrick Allen, providing a rare window into his life of 49 years behind bars.
Kevin, with a track record of finding the truth others missed, is uniquely positioned to provide context no one else can.
What Long Echo understands that other films miss:
A tragedy is not a moment. It began before that day and extends generations into the future.
Few people will ever experience what Officer Hank Salmans experienced that day. Salmans would later share his hard-earned wisdom with officers in Colorado who were struggling to cope with the aftermath of Columbine.
Few people will ever experience what Officer Hank Salmans experienced that day. Salmans would later share his hard-earned wisdom with officers in Colorado who were struggling to cope with the aftermath of Columbine.
The victims' families became different people. The witnesses carried things that many of them never named. And the shooter, in a cell, moved beyond his teenage years, into adulthood, middle-age, and now his twilight years.
Kevin has documented stories from those who lost loved ones and those who were within a single step of their own end. The interviews are extraordinary. The archival material is rare.
Why This Story? Why Now?
The people in this film are your neighbors, their children, their grandchildren. The healing this film can catalyze requires partners who understand the power of story.
Long Echo is slated for broadcast on the 50th anniversary of the tragedy. But it requires civic partners, foundations, and individual donors who believe that honest storytelling is an act of community care… and that 50 years is long enough to wait for this story to be fully told. As the daughter of a man killed that day told us, “It’s time to talk.”
Allen got his start in Wichita before taking his skills to Sacramento, San Francisco, Kansas City, Chicago, and Washington, D.C. He credits his late father, former Sedgwick County Jail Chaplain Ralph H. Allen Jr., with his approach to storytelling. It's an approach that combines critical thinking and empathy, a skillset his dad used daily in a dangerous and often uncaring environment.
Allen got his start in Wichita before taking his skills to Sacramento, San Francisco, Kansas City, Chicago, and Washington, D.C. He credits his late father, former Sedgwick County Jail Chaplain Ralph H. Allen Jr., with his approach to storytelling. It's an approach that combines critical thinking and empathy, a skillset his dad used daily in a dangerous and often uncaring environment.
About the Director
Kevin Patrick Allen is a veteran journalist turned documentary filmmaker recognized for his in-depth research, his ability to uncover untold stories, and his keen eye for identifying the unique qualities in characters, Kevin prioritizes both critical thinking and empathy in his work.
Most recently, Allen’s film Beneath the Shadow reignited public and institutional attention on the legacy of former Kansas City Chiefs star Jim Tyrer, whose life and death were long overshadowed by tragedy. The documentary helped bring Tyrer to the cusp of Pro Football Hall of Fame consideration and played a vital role in restoring the public legacy of Jim and Martha Tyrer.
In Long Echo, Allen leverages his knack for finding people and information, unlocking the things they’ve never said aloud. His films have influenced federal legislation and earned praise from mental health professionals. His reporting has garnered multiple honors, including recognition from the California Associated Press Radio-Television Association, NorCal RTNDA, the New York International News Festival, and the Chesapeake AP Broadcasters Association.
About the Director of Photography
Derek Landwehr is a historian and documentarian. Studying for his Master of Arts in Local and Community History at Wichita state University. Derek has worked on a dozen film projects helping to tell unique stories covering both Wichita and Kansas. These films include Sod and Stubble, The Contested Plains, and two film collaborations with Humanities Kansas. Derek is also a published author through Arcadia Publishing, helping
to tell the story of the LGBT community of Wichita.
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NonprofitGO Inc is a 501(c)(3) organization, and the fiscal sponsor for the Long Echo film project. NonprofitGO Inc mentors and educates nonprofit organizations to help them achieve sustainability, build capacity, and enhance their quality of community services.
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