RIP Dimebag

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) - A man charged onstage at a packed heavy metal show and opened fire, killing at least four people including guitarist Darrel Abbott before an arriving officer shot him to death, authorities said.

Columbus police department spokeswoman Sherry Mercurio identified three of the victims of Wednesday's shooting as Abbott, guitarist with the heavy metal rock band Damageplan, and two other men, Nathan Bray and Erin Halk.

Damageplan had just begun their first song at the Alrosa Villa when the man opened fire, first targeting Abbott, shooting him multiple times at point-blank range, a witness said.

Abbott, one of metal's top guitarists, and his brother, Damageplan drummer Vinnie Paul Abbott, were original members of thrash rock pioneers Pantera, one of the most popular metal bands of the early 1990s.


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. He said the gunman also shot a bouncer who pulled him off the musician.


Columbus police spokesman Sgt. Brent Mull said that after shooting at members of the band, the gunman fired into the crowd. Mull said a police officer who arrived shortly after the shooting began shot and killed the gunman.


``If the officer wasn't as close as he was, I think this would have been a lot worse,'' he said. ``It was a chaotic scene, just a horrific scene.''


Mull said more people could have been shot and left the scene before authorities arrived.


After the shooting began, Couch and a friend headed for the exit along with a tide of hundreds of fans.


``It was definitely a grudge. It was against something,'' Couch said.


Amanda Stankus, 19, who attended the show with Couch, said she initially thought the shooting was part of the show. ``I just saw the guitarist fall down, and we decided to get out of there,'' she said.


Other members of Damageplan include vocalist Patrick Lachman and bass player Bob Zilla, according to the band's Web site.


A message left with Atlantic Records, which oversees the record label on which Damageplan records, was not immediately returned.


Damageplan's Web site said Darrel and Vinnie Abbott grew up in the Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas area where their father Jerry Abbott owned a recording studio. Another entry on the site lists the elder Abbott as a country-western songwriter.


Telephone numbers for both Darrell and Jerry Abbott are unlisted and could not be reached early Thursday by The Associated Press.


Pantera, known for its brutally hard, fast and aggressive sound, recorded four albums between 1990 and 1996. They attracted a massive cult following and the band's third release, ``Far Beyond Driven,'' debuted at No. 1 in 1994, surprising chart-watchers and critics alike.


This is a sad day for all Pantera fans :sadwavey:

Awful... they dont check for weapons at these gigs?

Youll be missed Dimebag :disappoin

Not a fan of the group, but I feel sorry for them.

I feel bad for everyone who got hurt with the exception of the perp.

holy shit! What the hell is wrong with people?

I'm crying as i type this. dimebag was one of the most intense guitarist ever. He was pure genious, i've been a fan of pantera for a years, and of coarse damage plan also.

I hate obsessed fans.

Heard it on Stern this morn best wishes to his..

It's a sad day. 24 years to the day after the lennon shooting too, apparently. I'm such a huge pantera fan... why would anyone want to kill such a guy? I always wanted to see him in concert, be it pantera, damageplan, or what have you. Nevver got the chance, and never will :(

RIP Dime
Rock on with Cliff
1966-2004

This happened right next to where I live, and I almost went to this show. Unfortunately this is the second nationally broadcasted concert shooting within a year here in Columbus. Now the Al Rosa will most likely shut down, which sucks because it's one of the best concert halls/bars around :(.

RIP Darrell

Now the Al Rosa will most likely shut down, which sucks because it's one of the best concert halls/bars around :(.

The best.. even though they let weapons slip through security?

The best.. even though they let weapons slip through security?
There is no door security there, it's always been a warm fight-free place.. I guess all it takes is one dipshit to ruin it though :(

The guy was apparently an obsessed pantera fan..in which he was mad that pantera broke up.

If anyone should have gotten shot, it should have been Phil Anselmo, figures, the drug ridden, drunk fuck stays alive-he was the one that broke the band up because of all his crap.

The guy was apparently an obsessed pantera fan..in which he was mad that pantera broke up.

If anyone should have gotten shot, it should have been Phil Anselmo, figures, the drug ridden, drunk fuck stays alive-he was the one that broke the band up because of all his crap.

why does phil deserve to die, i love dimebag, a fav. of mine, but i wouldnt wnat to see someone else die either.

something like this would ahve never happened where i work, and the place deserves to be shut down or get security, thats messed up not to have security

see ya at the cemetery gates Dimebag

i wish they didn't kill that guy. once he did get out of jail there would have been a mob of 1000 people waiting there to shoot his ass..with me first in line. i still can't believe they killed him...this fucking sucks

Safer in Fallujah than Columbus.

Thats so messed up.......at first someone told me vinnie paul was dead also. I was like no way he's one of my favorite drummers. Still Dimebag was a badass guitar player.
RIP

Vinnie's okay.

btw I found out tonight Al Rosa has tightened security at the door during hip hop nights, where during metal nights they don't have anybody..

Vinnie's okay.

btw I found out tonight Al Rosa has tightened security at the door during hip hop nights, where during metal nights they don't have anybody..


That's cuz the hip hop fans are all punks that don't know how to fight but put up a front while the metal fans aren't afraid to defend themselves.

i...i played with with him. he sat down next to me in a guitar shop in arlington and we played a few riffs. i shook that mans hand...oh my god. i cant...i cant believe it.

ive never been a huge pantera fan. its always been good workout music, and they put on a hell of a show. one of the best ive ever seen. but, i've always appreciated what a bad ass guitarist he was.

all i can say is at least he died with his guitar in his hand and ass kicking metal on his mind.

That's cuz the hip hop fans are all punks that don't know how to fight but put up a front while the metal fans aren't afraid to defend themselves.
dude, that's nonsense and that kind of comment isn't called for. a tragedy is a tragedy, don't go saying all that stupid shit for no reason and don't go insulting people cuz you're mad. i'm a fan of all music, metal and rap included, and shit like this effects us all.

and wasn't this a supposed metal fan who pulled out a gun and killed 4 innocent people? yeah, thought so.

^ You're right, that comment was stupid. God bless 'em, the metal fans ain't afraid to defend themselves.....








or shoot up the place :rolleyes:

That's cuz the hip hop fans are all punks that don't know how to fight but put up a front while the metal fans aren't afraid to defend themselves.

lol shut the F up... nobody was hating on metal because of this but you have to bring it there.

That guy didnt start punching him, he started shooting him and INNOCENT people. Sounds like he really knew how to fight :rolleyes:... get outta here with that talk. Atleast hip hop fans dont go :screwy: and start killing innocent people. It's over beef and money.

truly a sad day for metal heads everywhere

lol shut the F up... nobody was hating on metal because of this but you have to bring it there.

That guy didnt start punching him, he started shooting him and INNOCENT people. Sounds like he really knew how to fight :rolleyes:... get outta here with that talk. Atleast hip hop fans dont go :screwy: and start killing innocent people. It's over beef and money.

except for all the shootings at clubs and stray bullets killing innocent ppl they dont kill innocent ppl:rolleyes:

every group has their psychos, not just one

Vinnie's okay.

btw I found out tonight Al Rosa has tightened security at the door during hip hop nights, where during metal nights they don't have anybody..


Vinnies ok?? He's awesome on the drums.....the combo of him and dimebag is what made Pantera one of the best metal bands around.

Next time i go to see my sister in columbus, I'm going to find the shooters grave and knock over the headstone. Then desecrate it with feces and whatnot.

Next time i go to see my sister in columbus, I'm going to find the shooters grave and knock over the headstone. Then desecrate it with feces and whatnot.



Spoken like a true metaler!



They said on the radio after it happened that several of the other band members were shot?
Has anyone heard any news about how they are doing, as I know another member of Pantera was in damageplan.





And note, this is a sad thread about a great loss to an important part of our culture, and music in general.
There will be no more posts about hip hop vs rock, and no more attacks on other members, or thier musical tastes.

It's a sad day. 24 years to the day after the lennon shooting too, apparently. I'm such a huge pantera fan... why would anyone want to kill such a guy? I always wanted to see him in concert, be it pantera, damageplan, or what have you. Nevver got the chance, and never will :(

RIP Dime
Rock on with Cliff
1966-2004

not quite.

Lennon was shot on the 8th, I do believe. Dime was burtally taken away from us on the 9th, thursday.

There is already a thread in music about this.

Dude, props to the cop that took that guy down.

What happened: he was on patrol in the area, heard the shots, grabbed his rifle, snuck in through a backdoor, jumped on stage with no backup, and nailed the guy taking him down with a single shotgun blast at point blank range. That guy got owned. Unfortunately he shot 5 people first... :dissapointed:

except for all the shootings at clubs and stray bullets killing innocent ppl they dont kill innocent ppl:rolleyes:


they dont kill innocent people on purpose tho... thats the key. That guy just started shooting into the crowd like he was duck hunting

It's a sad day. 24 years to the day after the lennon shooting too, apparently. I'm such a huge pantera fan... why would anyone want to kill such a guy? I always wanted to see him in concert, be it pantera, damageplan, or what have you. Nevver got the chance, and never will :(

RIP Dime
Rock on with Cliff
1966-2004


no, you're right, time differances fucked me over here date wise, he was taken from us on the 8th. 24 years to the day of lennons death...

they dont kill innocent people on purpose tho... thats the key. That guy just started shooting into the crowd like he was duck hunting
yes they do, every culture every style of music has their psychos that kill innocent ppl just to do it, yes hip hop ppl have some too just like the rock guys

good to see they at least upped the security there tho

On my local radio 106.7 (The End, which is also nation wide) They said that the shooter tried meeting Pantera beforehand, but got pissed off when the band members wouldn't give him an autograph. The band then went on stage then started playing. There actually WAS security at the event, but the shooter didn't have a ticket so he jumped the gate (which is why he wasn't apprehended sooner). He then ran on stage and you guys know the rest. Again, this is what I heard on the radio, but it was information given by a very well known metal radio station I frequently listen too. Stuff that is fact: The shooter was a total basket case that had gotten kicked out of the Marines after only 20 months of service due to real mental issues.

Either way all this info is besides the point. Fans lost a great guitarist and he will surely be dorely missed.

RIP Dime

Dimebag, this Blunts' 4 U! RIP

i'm fucked up right now in honor of dimebag...airguitared walk and some other shit all because of that guy...i'm gonna miss him...already do

I was always a fan of Pantera when I was younger. Dimebag was one of my favourite guitarists. He will be missed......

It's pointless.