On a tragic evening in Salkum, Washington, a dispute between neighbors escalated, resulting in the death of 28-year-old Travis Shive, a White male, on May 10, 2014. The incident was set in motion when Shive's black labrador retriever, Tuff, was shot in the leg by an unknown individual. Believing he knew who was responsible, Shive went to a neighbor's house in the 200 block of Stowell Road to confront the person he thought had harmed his dog.
Unfortunately, Shive had gone to the wrong house. The homeowner, a 56-year-old Salkum resident named Jack Ritter, told police that Shive was on his porch, shouting and pounding on the door. Feeling threatened, Ritter armed himself with a. 380 semi-automatic handgun. According to Ritter's account to law enforcement, he instructed Shive to leave, but Shive refused. Ritter then went outside to again tell Shive to leave.
Accounts of the ensuing moments differ slightly. Some witnesses reported that Shive was walking away when Ritter came outside. Upon seeing the gun, Shive allegedly lunged at Ritter. A brief struggle followed, during which Ritter shot Shive. Ritter maintained that he acted in self-defense, stating to detectives that Shive was coming towards him and, after a physical altercation where Shive allegedly tried to take the gun, he fired the weapon. An autopsy later confirmed that Shive died from massive internal bleeding caused by a gunshot wound to his abdomen. He was transported to Providence Centralia Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
The Lewis County Sheriff's Office conducted a thorough investigation into the fatal shooting. Detectives interviewed witnesses and the shooter, who cooperated with the investigation. The case was then forwarded to the Lewis County Prosecutor's Office for review. After examining the evidence, the prosecutor, Jonathan Meyer, announced that no charges would be filed against Jack Ritter. Meyer concluded that Ritter had acted in self-defense, stating that Shive was the aggressor and that Ritter's fear for his safety was reasonable under the circumstances. The tragic irony, as noted by the prosecutor, was that Shive had gone to the wrong house.
