Josh Barrick, victim in Louisville bank shooting, remembered as ‘honorable and beautiful’
A few hundred people gathered Monday night at Holy Trinity Catholic Church for a prayer service to remember Joshua Barrick, who was killed earlier that day by a gunman in downtown Louisville.
The 40-year-old was one of five fatally shot Monday when a gunman opened fire at Old National Bank in the 300 block of E. Main Street, near Louisville Slugger Field. The gunman also died.
Josh had held the position of senior vice president of commercial real estate banking at Old National Bank since August, according to his LinkedIn profile. He is survived by his wife, Jessica, and two children, both of whom attend Holy Trinity Parish School, and he was a parishioner of Holy Trinity.
“Our brother, Josh, and those who lost their lives today in this tragedy, were suddenly and violently taken away from us,” Father Shayne Duvall told his parish. “We pray for an end to hatred, to murder, to inhumane injustices, to anything that separates us from the love of God.”
“As pastor of this parish, my heart is broken,” Duvall said. “We pray that we as a society will have a greater love and respect for the human person.”
Duvall said Josh was one of the first people to welcome him as pastor when he came on less than a year ago and offered help “in any way he could.”
“In fact, I’d just had a meeting with Josh about some upcoming plans,” Duvall said. “The last thing he said was, ‘Father, I’ll do whatever you ask. You can count on me.’”
This kindness typifies who Josh was, his friends who spoke with the Herald-Leader said.
Whitney Thompson was close childhood friends with Josh, who went to Trinity High School, a Catholic all-boys school. Thompson, who went to Sacred Heart Academy, said they remained friends into adulthood, describing him as “one of the kindest people that I’ve ever known. His smile was infectious and lit up a room. He was the type of friend who would sit and talk with you for hours, listening to what was on your heart.”
After graduating from Trinity, Josh attended Xavier University, a Jesuit Catholic school in Cincinnati. A college classmate of Josh’s, who asked not to be named, said he was an “honorable and beautiful human.”
At a news conference Tuesday morning, U.S. Sen. Morgan McGarvey, D-Louisville, said he got a call Monday from a close friend who’s also a mutual friend of the Barricks. She was sitting with Josh’s wife, Jessica, in their home. They hadn’t heard from Josh and were worried.
“’She hasn’t heard from her husband. Can you find out if he’s alive?’” she asked McGarvey, he recalled during the news conference. He called Louisville Metro Police Department, found out what he could, and called his friend back.
“I cannot confirm anything, but he is not on the list of survivors,” McGarvey said tearfully. “And she had to tell their two small children that their father would never come home from work.”
At Holy Trinity Monday night, Father Duvall compared Josh to St. Joseph of Arimathea, a “secret disciple” who worked quietly, without fanfare, to prepare Jesus’ body for burial after his crucifixion.
“I see Josh as a St. Joseph of Arimathea . . . who did so much behind the scenes to make sure the people of God are taken care of.”
Duvall said he’d assured Josh’s wife, Jessica, and their two children earlier in the day that, “we, as a community, would take care of them for the rest of their life. I told them, even though they don’t have a husband or father anymore, we will be their family.”
This story will be updated.
