BAXTER SPRINGS, Kan. — A man died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound Tuesday when law enforcement located him in a closet on a rural Cherokee County property following an attempted shooting and assault incident earlier in the afternoon, according to the Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office.
46-year-old Joseph Gunsolus fled into a wooded area Tuesday afternoon after allegedly striking a woman in the head with a gun, which had jammed when he attempted to shoot her west of Baxter Springs, according to the sheriff’s office.
Just after 4 p.m., Cherokee County sheriff's deputies responded to the scene and established a perimeter with assistance from the Baxter Springs Police Department, Kansas Highway Patrol and Quapaw Nation Marshal Service. The Miami, Oklahoma, Police Department and Kansas Bureau of Investigation also responded to provide equipment support during the incident.
In addition to searching the wooded areas and fields within the vicinity, deputies also searched a camper on the property. During the search, deputies located Gunsolus hiding in a closet, at which time he took his own life, dying from a self-inflicted gunshot wound, according to the sheriff’s office.
During the search for the suspect, the woman was transported to a local hospital where she was treated and released.
