On the morning of September 18, 2021, Jackson James Purdie, 35, of Spokane was shot and killed in the parking lot of the Ramada Inn on North Sullivan Road in Spokane Valley. Deputies responded about 10:45 a.m. after multiple 911 calls reporting loud voices and gunfire. First responders found Purdie unresponsive; the Spokane County Medical Examiner determined he died of multiple gunshot wounds.

Surveillance from the hotel and a nearby gas station captured a confrontation in which Purdie exited a vehicle, struck another man on the back of the head with a handgun, and at one point aimed the weapon at a bystander walking a dog. The other man then drew a firearm and shot Purdie. Investigators located a .45-caliber pistol near Purdie and several cartridge casings. The shooter fled in a sedan; no one was arrested at the scene. Authorities have considered a claim of self-defense and forwarded the file to the prosecutor’s office while the investigation remains active. Reports indicate both men were convicted felons and that the dispute may have been drug-related.

Purdie was a father of two, worked as a chef and in construction, and wrote poetry, songs and rap; his family created a memorial fund for his children. If anyone has information about that morning or the events leading up to the shooting, please come forward.