Updated 2:50 am.
At Least 5 Dead, 2 Wounded In Nightclub Shooting
Witnesses: Alleged Gunman Went Onto Stage, Fired Shots
POSTED: 10:32 pm EST December 8, 2004
UPDATED: 2:27 am EST December 9, 2004
COLUMBUS, Ohio -- At least five people died and two others were wounded after a shooting at a Columbus nightclub on Wednesday night, NBC 4 reported.
The shooting took place shortly after 10 p.m. at Alrosa Villa, located at 5055 Sinclair Rd.
Two members of the heavy metal band Damageplan were reportedly shot and killed, including Dimebag Darrell, formerly with the band Pantera, NBC 4's David Wayne reported. The other band member's name was not released. The alleged gunman also died at the scene, Wayne reported.
Shortly after the band began playing its first song, a man reportedly ran onto the stage and began shooting, according to a witness who identified himself as Sean. Some members of the audience reportedly thought the man running onto the stage with a gun was part of the band's act, NBC 4's Erin Tate reported.
Witnesses said that several shots were fired at the band before a bouncer tackled the gunman before he was shot and killed.
Columbus police Sgt. Brent Mull said the shooter appeared to be targeting the band members. After opening fire on the stage, the gunman turned on the crowd. At that point, an officer shot the man dead, Mall added. Police said there could have been many more fatalities had the officer not killed the gunman.
NBC 4 reported that of the surviving victims, one person was in critical condition while the other was in fair condition. Several others were treated at the scene, suffering from various injuries.
Alrosa Villa is a popular north Columbus nightspot for young adults, featuring rock and heavy metal bands, NBC 4 reported.
According to the band's Web site, Damageplan was touring nationally. It performed in Buffalo, N.Y., on Tuesday night and had a concert scheduled in Flint, Mich., on Thursday.
Damageplan featured former Pantera artists Dimebag Darrell and Vinnie Paul. The pair were joined by vocalist Patrick Lachman and bassist Bobzilla, according to their Web site.
Source.
Gunman kills 4 at Ohio nightclub
Police officer shoots suspect to death
Thursday, December 9, 2004 Posted: 2:12 AM EST (0712 GMT)
COLUMBUS, Ohio (CNN) -- A gunman opened fire Wednesday night during a heavy metal concert in Columbus, killing four people -- including at least one member of the band -- and critically wounding at least two others before a police officer shot and killed him, according to Columbus police.
The attacker leapt onstage as the group, Damageplan, performed, and began "targeting members in the band," Sgt. Brent Mull said.
Two others were injured in the incident, although the nature of their injuries was not clear.
According to eyewitness accounts, the gunman initially shot and killed the band's guitarist, Dimebag Darrell. Darrell, 38, and his brother, Vinnie Paul, 40, are former members of Pantera -- a group they formed in the 1980s. Their father is Jerry Abbott, a country and western songwriter and producer.
Police were notified of the shooting at the Alrosa Villa nightclub on the city's north end around 10:18 p.m. ET, Mull said. A uniformed police officer who was in the area slipped into the venue from a back entrance, confronted the gunman during the rampage and killed him.
"If not for the officer who showed up, there would have been more dead," Mull said.
Police have roped off a huge area of the nightclub's parking lot, as 60 detectives question hundreds of witnesses. Police have brought in buses to keep the witnesses warm as they wait to be questioned.
Calvin Bota said he saw the shooting from the mosh pit right in front of the stage, shortly after the band began playing.
"Somebody came -- I don't know where they came from, out of the audience or whatnot -- but they come onto (the) stage and ... he shot the guitarist at first, fired a couple of other shots and then he hid behind the stage a little bit," Bota told WSYX.
"Everybody started scattering, you know, there's mayhem everywhere. And then a police officer came into the building, you know, came in professional with his gun raised and then he proceeded to shoot the guy."
Gerald Caudill told WSYX the gunman shot the guitarist at least four times.
"I was up close to the stage and I just saw some guy run up on the side of the stage and I heard some shots and I saw (drummer) Vinnie Paul and somebody jumped on top of Vinnie, and the guy just stayed around the stage and started shooting other people," Caudill said.
"I saw wounded people all over the place, out in the parking lot, inside," he said. "It just didn't sound like gunshots or anything, it didn't occur to me that something like that was happening."
Keep in mind for right now, these are "eyewitness" accounts, meaning they could be COMPLETELY WRONG, which they usually are. I wouldn't trust longhairs/scenesters on cell phones who can't wait to tell Lambgoat.com or Blabbermouth.net the news first.