RIP Dimebag

[lordvektra]

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

[crayzayjay]

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

[ghostguy6]

Youll be missed Dimebag

[clawhammer]

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

[YogsVR4]

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

[jon@af]

holy shit! What the hell is wrong with people?

[solaris=amazing]

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.

[Beastiek2]

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

[Steel]

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

[Ricochet]

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

[eversio11]

Originally Posted by Ricochet

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?

[Ricochet]

Originally Posted by eversio11

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

[solaris=amazing]

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.

[91300zxtt]

Originally Posted by solaris=amazing

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

[93rollaracer]

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