Topic: Ronald ‘Bo’ Ward

Details emerge on ‘Bo’ Ward suicide; City Council Chambers closed

By Christine Anne Piesyk | October 5, 2007 |

Businessman Ronald “Bo” Ward was a walking a tight financial rope when he sought a commercial re-zoning of his Madison Street property, a move that would have increased the value of that property and would have leveraged additional financing to offset the expense of the new business building he occupied on Fort Campbell Boulevard.

Ward was a well-liked businessman whose business, Bo’s Barber Shop near Gate 1, had strong patronage from the military at Fort Campbell. He was a strong supporter of the soldiers based at Fort Campbell.

With the 5-7 denial of a second reading on that request Thursday night and a City Council moratorium on zone changes in that area, Ward apparently felt he would lose everything he worked for and chose to take his own life in front of his wife, the city leaders who denied his request, and a room full of residents attending that meeting.

As the reality of that denial set in, Ward stood up, walked toward the Council, was told by Mayor Johnny Piper, who serves as the President of the City Council, that he could not speak. Ward acknowledged that he could not address the Council, but told Piper the ruling “put him under” and that he [Bo] was “out of here.” He placed the barrel of a small silver handgun in mouth and pulled the trigger, falling at the feet of the audience as his wife, screaming, threw herself over him. «Read the rest of this article»

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