Jared Bridegan — The Murder of a Tech Executive in Florida

A father on his way home with his young daughter

On Tuesday, February 22, 2022, Jared Bridegan — 33 years old and a technology executive at Synacor, a Microsoft partner firm — was driving along Sanctuary Boulevard in Jacksonville Beach, Florida. With him in the car was his and ex-wife Shanna Gardner's two-year-old daughter, Bexley, whom he had just picked up following a custody exchange. It was a routine handover — one of many during a long and conflict-ridden divorce process.

Suddenly, there was an obstacle in the middle of the road. Bridegan stopped his car to move what appeared to be a wire fence panel. As he stepped out of the vehicle, one or more perpetrators opened fire on him. He was struck by multiple gunshots and died at the scene. Little Bexley sat alone in the car waiting when neighbors, drawn by the sound of gunfire, discovered the scene minutes later.

Victim and background

Jared Bridegan held a degree in economics and had built a career in the technology industry. He lived in Jacksonville Beach with his wife Kirsten Bridegan, whom he had married in 2020, along with their newborn twins. From his first marriage to Shanna Gardner, he had twins Mason and Zoe, as well as young Bexley. Friends and colleagues described Jared as a devoted father and a calm, easy-going person — not a man with obvious enemies.

His divorce from Shanna Gardner, however, had been anything but peaceful. It dragged on for years, cost both parties enormous sums in legal fees, and was marked by bitter disputes over custody and finances. Friends of Jared described Shanna as controlling and vindictive, and according to close acquaintances, Jared had expressed concerns about his personal safety in the months leading up to the murder.

The investigation points to the ex-wife's circle