JOHANNESBURG – Rapport newspaper is reporting that a 66-year-old man is in police custody after allegedly shooting and wounding his neighbor’s son and a friend for playing music too loud.
The suspect, Dave Ridgeway, a retired estate agent, allegedly hid in the victim’s garden in Brackendowns and waited for him to come home. When 19-year-old Peter Robinson arrived, Ridgeway reportedly ordered him to lie on the ground and then fired three shots, one of which struck the teen in the head. Another victim, Calvin Main, was shot in the leg, while another friend avoided the third bullet.
The suspect attempted to flee the scene but fell in the pool where tried to shoot himself in the head. He reportedly was unsuccessful because the gun was wet.
Robertson remains in serious condition after his friends took him to Union Hospital in Alberta.
Investigators discovered a detailed plan, and a suicide letter was allegedly found on Ridgeway’s laptop. According to a report, Ridgeway was divorced and faced financial problems. As a result, he moved into a guest house next to the Robertsons four months ago. It was then that Ridgeway began to frequently complain about loud music emanating from inside the house as well as Peter’s car.
Peter’s father said, “I think that life got too much for him and he wanted to take his frustrations out on Peter and I.”
In September, a friend of Ridgeway’s reported him to police after he threatened suicide.