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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Brother says shooting victim always had smile on his face

Joshua Ridgely (The Spokesman-Review)

For Marcus Ridgely, it seems so random.

His younger brother wasn’t a troublemaker and didn’t have enemies, Ridgely said. Yet 22-year-old Joshua Ridgely became a victim of violence early Saturday, dying in his girlfriend’s lap after being shot in the chest.

“He worked directly for me and I heard nothing but compliments from my customers about his courteousness,” Marcus Ridgely said Sunday afternoon in a phone interview from his parents’ Spokane Valley home. “He always had a smile on his face … was always real friendly, polite.”

Spokane police announced Saturday they were looking for two “persons of interest” in the shooting at 333 W. Spokane Falls Boulevard. But there was no word Sunday on whether Sam Russell and Zacariah Tesch had been detained, or what role – if any – they might have played in the incident.

Police say Joshua Ridgely, who graduated from University High School in 2004, was shot shortly after he and friends stepped out of The Blvd Tavern about 12:30 a.m. Two others were injured; they were treated and released from a Spokane hospital.

According to what witnesses have told Marcus Ridgely, his brother was at the bar Halloween night with a group that included siblings Ryan and Summer Jackson – Joshua Ridgely’s best friend and girlfriend, respectively.

They stepped out of The Blvd to find a group of people beating up a man, Marcus Ridgely said.

“There were apparently four or five guys kicking this guy and he was on the ground,” Ridgely said. “Summer told them something like, ‘Hey, guys, that’s enough.’ ”

She stepped forward and was shoved, Marcus Ridgely said, and Ryan Jackson was hit when he came to her assistance.

A fight ensued, during which Ryan Jackson was shot in the left hand and right ankle. A woman who was with Ridgely’s crowd – but was well away from the fight – was shot in the thigh, Marcus Ridgely said. And Josh Ridgely was shot in the chest.

“From what I understand, he got shot right in the heart,” Marcus Ridgely said. “Summer was there. He was in her lap.”

Ridgely, whose last name was misspelled Saturday in a police press release and in media accounts that followed, was pronounced dead at a hospital.

Marcus Ridgely said his brother and Ryan Jackson were best friends who had been roommates until recently. Joshua and Summer Jackson started dating a couple of years ago, after knowing each other for several years.

The youngest of four siblings, Joshua was the son of Dave and Carla Ridgely. He installed windows for Marcus Ridgely’s company.

Marcus Ridgely said a memorial service is scheduled for 11 a.m. Saturday at Redeemer Lutheran Church, 3606 S. Schafer Road.