Posted on 12/08/2004 9:01:54 PM PST by Homer1
At Least 3 Dead, 4 Wounded In Nightclub Shooting Witnesses: Alleged Gunman Went Onto Stage, Fired Shots
POSTED: 10:32 pm EST December 8, 2004 UPDATED: 11:36 pm EST December 8, 2004
COLUMBUS, Ohio -- At least three people died and four 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 Road.
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 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. Witnesses said that a bouncer at the club tackled the alleged gunman before that person was shot and killed. It was unclear as to whom shot the alleged gunman.
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.
That's a good point. This is just horrible.
Thanks, flutters.
Dude.... Firearms ARE against the law in bars in Ohio.
Ohio concealed carry law (see page 14)
Guess our murderer just read it.
You're the most anti-RKBA poster I've seen on Free Republic.
*sigh*. bump
That's interesting.
I posted this earlier on a guitar forum i frequent...some canadian dude espoused how he hates guns....i didn't bother with a comeback.....geeez.
Bingo. bootstick has a little flaw in the logic. .
RIP
Yeah, some guy who wants to kill the band is going to be deterred by a gun ban.
In another report I read it was a police officer who shot and killed the gunman.
I am struck by that bouncer being a pretty brave guy for the pay he probably makes. Being the big guy that can carry out unruly patrons is one thing.... Tackling a gunman is probably not something he expected he'd do today.
http://www.cnn.com/2004/US/12/09/nightclub.shooting/index.html
Gunman kills 4 at Ohio nightclub
Police officer shoots suspect to death
Thursday, December 9, 2004 Posted: 2:12 AM EST (0712 GMT)
Police block the entrance to the nightclub after the shooting.
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."
And if the perp was Christian, it's No Big Deal, right? What if the perp was Rastafarian, hmm?
This is a pretty remarkable story.
owners liability
Extensive and unlimited.
Welllll, that depends of the depths of the pockets thereof.
Posted on 12/08/2004 11:35:36 PM PST by Columbus Dawg
COLUMBUS, Ohio A man walked onstage in a crowded nightclub during a rock concert Wednesday night and opened fire, killing at least four people and wounding at least two others before he was shot to death by police, authorities said.
Members of the heavy metal band Damageplan (search) had just begun their first song at the Alrosa Villa (search) when the man opened fire on the band, initially shooting the guitarist, who went by the name "Dimebag Darrell," a witness said. According to the band's Web site, the guitarist and another member, drummer Vinnie Paul, are formerly of the heavy metal band Pantera (search).
The witness, 22-year-old Chris Couch, said he was standing about 30 feet away from the stage when he noticed a man wearing a hooded sweatshirt and hockey jersey walk up to the stage, followed by a bouncer and another club employee.
The man in the jersey climbed onto the stage, started yelling and shot the guitarist five or six times at close range, Couch said. Couch said the gunman also shot a bouncer who pulled him off the musician.
Columbus police spokesman Sgt. Brent Mull said a police officer shot and killed the gunman. It wasn't immediately clear whether the officer was already at the show or had responded to an emergency call. Authorities didn't immediately provide the identities of the victims.
(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...
Do you really think that a law prohibiting guns in a bar setting would stop someone who is set on murdering someone. Here's a clue...... Murder is also illegal. If the person is willing to break the law to murder then they probably would not be detered by a stupid ban on guns in a bar.
OTOH, this gunman was shot and killed by an unknown person. Maybe he was shot by a person who had a concealed weapon permit.
A fair scenario to paint in the absence of any other defense against something like this.... but it seems a cop got there quick while this was still going on and shot him.
Same thing going on at the KNAC boards. I'll probably be booted for defending guns. Oh well, not much of a loss if I am. :)
I've been to Alrosa Villa several times. Why does crap like that happen in a (formerly) sleepy town like Columbus? Between this and that arson fire that killed several Ohio State people, I can't believe what's happening to my hometown.
It is unfortunate that the bouncer was not able to disarm the gunman. However, his actions probably saved others from serious injury, or death, had the gunman been allowed to expend all his ammo without interruption. It will be a shame if the bouncer is among the dead, but I expect that to be the case.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.