The Holiday Inn Sniper

THE Holiday Inn SNIPER

A Midwestern

Tragedy

On August 11, 1976, a young man entered Wichita's downtown Holiday Inn — Kansas's tallest building at the time. He rode the elevator to the top, carrying two rifles and a lunch pail packed with bullets.

For the next 11 minutes, the man fired dozens of shots into the crowd below.

Wounding eight.

Killing three.

Sparing no one.

Understanding

the Era

For context, consider the decade in which this event took place.

In 1973, a beleaguered America finally withdrew its troops from the long and unpopular Vietnam War. 1974 saw a scandal-plagued President Nixon resign from office in disgrace. And by 1975, the oil crisis caused a gasoline shortage that sent fuel prices sky high.

As a result, many Americans felt weary and pessimistic heading into 1976 — our nation's bicentennial.

Turning

the Page

The 1970s didn't just commemorate America's 200th birthday. 1970 itself marked the 100-year milestone of the city's incorporation.

City leaders made several bold moves to recognize Wichita's centennial. They commissioned local Kiowa-Comanche artist Blackbear Bosin to create The Keeper of the Plains, a 44-foot-tall steel sculpture that became an iconic landmark. And Wichita established its long-running River Festival to celebrate the city's history and culture.

A New Convention Center for a New Century…

In 1969, anticipating the Centennial anniversary, Wichita built a new performing arts and convention center in the heart of downtown. Officials named it "Century II", heralding Wichita's next 100 years and inspiring a renewed civic spirit.

…and the

New Hotel

to Match

A brand-new Holiday Inn opened across the street from Century II, anticipating an influx of visitors to Wichita. The 26-story hotel became Kansas's tallest building at the time. New shops, restaurants, and entertainment venues sprang up in the surrounding area, increasing pedestrian and vehicular traffic.

The city teemed with renewed excitement for the future.

AUGUST 11, 1976

A Drizzly Afternoon

Turns Deadly

Wednesday, August 11, 1976: A warm but drizzly day. Shortly before 3 p.m., a car parked on the fourth floor of the hotel's parking garage. A young man exited, carrying two rifles in a satchel and a lunch pail loaded with ammunition.

He calmly entered the hotel lobby and walked to the elevators. After riding the elevator to the top floor, the man spotted an access door leading to the roof.

Unable to shoot the door's lock, the man forced his way into a vacant room on the hotel's 26th floor and locked himself in.

Raining Bullets

From Room 2608's southeast corner balcony, the young man set up a sniper's nest with a wide view of the plaza below. Using a 30-30 bolt-action deer rifle and .22 caliber mag rifle, the sniper fired upward of 50 shots into the crowded plaza.

He chose his targets at random, aiming at anything that moved in his rifle's scope.

Police on

the Scene

Within minutes of shots being fired, downtown police officers received the emergency dispatch and raced to the scene, sirens howling. Danger hung in the air as rifle shots cracked above them. Bullets bit into buildings, passing cars, and pedestrians alike.

With his neck craned, one officer spotted a glint from the penthouse balcony: the rifle's scope catching the midday sun.

Room

with a View

As police on the ground set up barricades, six officers entered the hotel lobby, armed with rifles, shotguns, and pistols.

Lieutenant Mike Hill knew the sniper fired from the southeast penthouse. So he punched the elevator button for the 26th floor, where the men heard gunfire coming from Room 2608. Unable to force entry, the officers entered the room next door.

The two rooms shared the same balcony.

Smoke & Mirrors

A sliding glass window and Styrofoam partition separated the shared balcony. Puffs of gun smoke punctuated shot after shot from the sniper's nest. Lieutenant Hill rushed over and saw the sniper's silhouette through the smoky, reflective window. With a 12-gauge shotgun, Hill blasted round after round through the partition. A storm of glass shards, shredded foam, and smoking shells filled the air.

As the debris settled, Hill caught his breath—only to choke on the short-lived sigh of relief.

"He's pointing the gun!"

“He’s Aiming!”

As Officer Carter shouted the warning, Lieutenant Hill jacked the shotgun pump and emptied the barrels—only to realize he was out of ammo. Officer Salmans saw this and tossed Hill three spare shells.

Hill and Salmans emptied their guns into the partition, aiming low to cut the sniper's legs out from under him. As the smoke cleared, silence hung heavy, until —

"I give up!"

The sniper, still alive, threw his rifles off the balcony, where they clattered on top of the hotel's parking garage. Officers shot the chain off of Room 2608 and approached its balcony with caution. They found a young man lying on his back. Blood poured from his feet and legs. The sniper's lunch pail, previously full of bullets, was now full of bullet holes.