On August 11, 1976, Michael Soles climbed to the top of the Holiday Inn and opened fire, killing three people and wounding six. The rampage ended when law enforcement shot and wounded Soles. For Wichitans old enough to remember, it remains one of those defining "I remember where I was" moments.
Telling that story without sensationalizing it is exactly what a new documentary project called Long Echo is trying to do. Now in the fundraising and production stage, the film spans more than a single day. It reaches back into the years that preceded the shooting, and it follows the decades that came after, tracing how the people touched by that August afternoon carried it forward, celebrating courage and underlining generational impact.
Filmmaker Kevin Patrick Allen has built his career around stories about trauma, resilience and healing, and he brings an uncommon personal connection to this one. His father was the first chaplain of Sedgwick County Jail and ministered to Soles after his arrest, leaving behind an oral and written history of that experience, including recorded conversations with Soles himself. Joining Allen is documentarian Derek Landwehr, whose work has centered on local history and collective memory.
Together, they're approaching this less as true crime and more as an examination of what leads to moments like this, and what lingers long after. The hope is that the lessons are ones that echo.
For more information, visit longechofilm.com