Topic: Bo Ward

City Council seeks new meeting space following ‘Bo’ Ward suicide

By Christine Anne Piesyk | October 8, 2007 |

One of the issues facing the City of Clarksville in the fallout from the October 4 suicide of Ronald ‘Bo” Ward in City Council Chambers is security.Ward, 60, a popular local businessman and owner of Bo’s Barber Shop on Fort Campbell Boulevard, was denied a zone change for his Madison Street property, a move he believed would be financially devastating for him. He pulled out a gun and killed himself before the Council and an audience of about 50 people.

Mayor Johnny Piper, with full support of the Council, said the present 2nd floor chambers would not be used again and that plans to relocate the Council to new quarters would proceed immediately. Any new meeting place must meet one key criteria: hi tech security in the form of a metal detector.

Piper has been adamant in his statements that no further city meetings will be held in locations without metal detectors. Possible meeting sites include the County Commission chambers or the School Board facilities. The city had already begun a search for large quarters prior to the shooting; no one questions that a return to the scene of the shooting would acerbate the trauma for all involved. «Read the rest of this article»

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UPDATE: Suicide in Council Chambers leaves witnesses shocked, shaken

By Christine Anne Piesyk | October 5, 2007 |

“And that’s when the gentleman just looked at the mayor and said, ‘I just want you to know that you’ve killed me.’ And about that time, he pulled the gun from his right pants pocket, stuck it in his mouth and pulled the trigger.”

– Charles Cureton to NewsChannel 5/Nashville

Cureton was in City Council Chambers when Clarksville businessman Bo Ward, owner of Bo’s Barber Shop on Fort Campbell Boulevard, committed suicide Thursday evening before the Council and an estimated fifty people attending the meeting after a zoning request he was seeking was denied a reading.

Few words can adequately describe the horror that unfolded in City Council chambers tonight as Clarksville businessman Bo Ward, proprietor of Bo’s Barber Shop on Fort Campbell Boulevard, pulled out a handgun and shot himself to death before the council and approximately 50 other people.

“People were screaming in disbelief. Horror. The room was pretty well packed and there were a lot of elderly people there. They were pretty shaken up.” — Cureton

The City Council councilors voted down Ward’s request for a zone change on his Madison Street property, a move that Ward felt would sink him financially. Last month the Council voted favorably on the first reading of the requested change, but apparently in further discussion shifted their decision out of Ward’s favor. «Read the rest of this article»

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Suicide in Council Chambers; follows “no” vote on zone change

By Christine Anne Piesyk | October 4, 2007 |

Few words can adequately describe the horror that unfolded in City Council chambers tonight as Clarksville businessman Bo Ward, proprietor of Bo’s Barber Shop on Fort Campbell Boulevard, pulled out a handgun and shot himself to death before the council and approximately 50 other people.

The City Council councilors voted down Ward’s request for a zone change on his Madison Street property, a move that Ward felt would sink him financially. Last month the Council voted favorably on the first reading of the requested change, but apparently in further discussion shifted their decision out of Ward’s favor.

According to reports, Ward then pulled out a small silver gun and shot himself in the head as onlookers watched in shock.

In addressing the Council Ward said his business “would go under” without a favorable ruling, implying that his business and finances may have been overburdened. Ward then approached the council members and Mayor Johnny Piper after the vote, saying he “was done” [Leaf Chronicle 10/4/07] and implying that his business would become insolvent. «Read the rest of this article»

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