Dimebag Dead

[Jolly Rogers]

MTV Headline

News from Pantera.com

Absolutely the worst news of the year...

Dimebag Darrell, Three Others Killed In Bizarre Ohio Concert Shooting

12.09.2004 2:10 AM EST

Unidentified man jumps on stage and shoots band members, others.

Dimebag Darrell (file)

Photo: MTV News 

Dimebag Darrell, guitarist for Pantera and Damageplan, was one of at least four people fatally wounded during a bizarre shooting at a concert in Columbus, Ohio on Wednesday night.

According to Columbus NBC affiliate NBC4, Dimebag — real

 

name Darrell Abbott — was among the fatalities resulting from the incident, which occurred during a Damageplan performance at the Alrosa Villa in Columbus. Authorities did not release the names of any of the other fatalities to NBC4. Columbus police told MTV News that a total of four people were killed and two wounded, and that the death toll included the assailant.

One witness told the NBC affiliate that a man jumped onto the stage during the first song of the band's set and began firing a gun. According to the witness, the man fired several shots at the band before being tackled by club security. One of the survivors is in critical condition at a local hospital, while another is in fair condition.

"A Columbus police officer, when he arrived, engaged the shooter, and the shooter is also dead, and if the officer hadn't acted when he did and how he did, we'd probably be looking at more dead, because this guy was actively shooting," Sergeant Brent Mull, public information officer, told MTV News.

"We have 200-plus patrons that we have sequestered inside three city buses," Sergeant Mull explained. "We are interviewing them one by one. The ones that were inside and witnessed this, ran for their lives and were in fear for their lives. They are victims too, and we want to take care of them."

As news of Dimebag's bizarre and tragic demise rippled through the metal community, the news was met with shock and sadness.

"I'm speechless," friend and Rob Zombie/Ozzy Osbourne bassist Rob "Blasko" Nicholson said. "This is totally unreal. Dimebag is a f---ing legend and this is total bull----."

"This is insane and this is beyond travesty," Killswitch Engage frontman, and former Damageplan tour partner, Howard Jones said. "This is beyond anything I've ever heard. This shouldn't happen in or outside of the rock and metal community. He will be missed and mourned as a person, as a musician, and as a friend."

— Robert Mancini and Ryan Downey

 

12/09/04 Reports are coming in from Columbus, Ohio, where an alleged shooting occurred at Alrossa Villa, the nightclub where Damageplan was performing tonight. The earliest reports indicate that Dimebag Darrell and one other band member were among those killed.

At Least 5 Dead, 2 Wounded In Nightclub Shooting

Witnesses: Alleged Guman Went Onto Stage, Fired Shots

POSTED: 10:32 pm EST December 8, 2004

UPDATED: 1:40 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 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 other band member's name was not released. The alleged gunman also died at the scene, Wayne reported.

Columbus police Sgt. Brent Mall said the alleged gunman appeared to be targeting the band members. After shooting at the stage, the gunman opened fire on the crowd. At that point, an officer shot man dead, Mall added. Police said there could have been many more fatalities had the officer not killed the gunman.

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.

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.

CNN.com has also posted the following article which includes eyewitness accounts:

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."

CNN Producer Steve Brusk in Columbus contributed to this report.

WCPO-TV Channel 9, the ABC affiliate in Cincinnati, posted another report at http://www.wcpo.com/news/2004/local/12/08/...hooting_ap.html, which includes comments from a law enforcement official and additional first-hand accounts:

Five Dead, Two Injured In Columbus Nightclub Shooting

Reported by: A.P.

Web produced by: Neil Relyea

Photographed by: 9News

12/9/2004 12:23:15 AM

A man opened fire in a crowded nightclub during a rock concert Wednesday night, killing at least four people and wounding at least two others before he was shot to death by police, authorities said.

A man walked on stage during the show at the Alrosa Villa and opened fire on band members, killing four people and wounding at least two others, said Columbus police spokesman Sgt. Brent Mull, adding that more people could have been shot and left the scene before authorities arrived.

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.

Columbus resident Chris Couch, 22, said the shooting occurred about 30 seconds after the show's headliner, DAMAGEPLAN, had begun playing.

Couch, who was standing about 30 feet away from the stage, 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.

At that point, Couch and a friend headed for the exit along with a tide of hundreds of fans.

It appeared the gunman purposely sought out the guitarist, whom Couch identified as a performer who went by the name "Dimebag Darrell."

Authorities didn't immediately provide the identities of the victims.

"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," said Stankus, of Columbus.

Stankus said she didn't see any metal detectors or uniformed police officers at the venue and that she wasn't searched or frisked on her way in.

WBNS-10 TV in Columbus first posted the following information on their Web site at http://www.wbns10tv.com/Global/story.asp?S...3&nav=LUERTzwc:

Reports of a shooting at Al Rosa Villa on Sinclair Road in North Columbus.

Three people are dead and at least seven are wounded.

Three people in critical condition were taken to Riverside Hospital.

One person was taken to Grant Hospital in stable condition, with a gunshot wound to the thigh.

A triage center has been set up behind the restaurant to help victims with minor injuries still on the scene.

Edit: Damageplan, not Battledamage... lack of sleep and too much Macross does that to my brain.

Edited December 9, 2004 by Jolly Rogers

[Phyrox]

Absolutely the worst news of the year...

I'll grant you it is bad news. Maybe worst news of the year to his personal friends and his family...but people I don't know die everyday.

[Jolly Rogers]

I'll grant you that, but few can be considered a talent of his caliber.

[bandit29]

Pantera is/was one of my all time favorite bands. Dimebag will be sorely missed. I just saw Damageplan a few weeks ago.

I had always hoped that Vinnie, Dime, Phil(Superjoint Ritual) and Rex would settle their differences and reform Pantera..

R.I.P Dimebag... smoke one up and have a Black Tooth(crown royal and coke, his favorite shot) if ya gotta it..

Edited December 9, 2004 by dejr8bud

[Mechamaniac]

Sucks that he went out the way he did, but in the big scheme of things, he's just another dead pothead.

Tragedy? or Progress?

[bandit29]

Sucks that he went out the way he did, but in the big scheme of things, he's just another dead pothead.

Tragedy? or Progress?

F,uck you stupid a-hole

[JsARCLIGHT]

Question from someone who doesn't know:

Why was there not some form of door security in place?

You hear all the time of rap concerts having screeners wanding people at the door, checking for weapons... I assume this happens at more than just rap shows. Then again all the concerts and clubs I go to are not as... "hardcore"... as those.

Seems rather shortsighted of the management to not have screenings at the door. Perhaps this will indicate to people how it's "not just those darn rappers" that people need to worry about.

Also I'm shocked that it took the arival of a cop to put an end to this... also shows how ill equipped concert security is to deal with a "real" situation. Then again they are usually pitted against drunks and rowdy college boys. What sort of world are we living in where people feel the need to kill musicians?

[bandit29]

Question from someone who doesn't know:

Why was there not some form of door security in place?

You hear all the time of rap concerts having screeners wanding people at the door, checking for weapons... I assume this happens at more than just rap shows. Then again all the concerts and clubs I go to are not as... "hardcore"... as those.

Seems rather shortsighted of the management to not have screenings at the door. Perhaps this will indicate to people how it's "not just those darn rappers" that people need to worry about.

Also I'm shocked that it took the arival of a cop to put an end to this... also shows how ill equipped concert security is to deal with a "real" situation. Then again they are usually pitted against drunks and rowdy college boys. What sort of world are we living in where people feel the need to kill musicians? 

When I saw Damageplan a few weeks ago at the House of Blues in Chicago, they searched everyone with metal detectors. Plus they had real cops there. But this is Chicago. Not sure how its done in Ohio.

Edited December 9, 2004 by dejr8bud

[Dangard Ace]

zzzz...snore....alarm set to wake up and close in 1 1/2 hr.

[Mechamaniac]

Sucks that he went out the way he did, but in the big scheme of things, he's just another dead pothead.

Tragedy? or Progress? 

<span style='font-size:14pt;line-height:100%'>F,uck you stupid a-hole</span>

Sorry, but the last I remember, the dude was a proudly open drug user, and I have little to no sympathy for known drug users.

I regret that he went out the way he did, and I hope he did not leave a wife and any children behind either.

This definitely is a first in the rock and roll world. It's old news in the Crap and Hip Hop genre, but totally unexpected.

According to the MTV article. the club had no metal detectors.

And isn't it ironic that these nutcases always pick the lamest reasons?. Apparently, the dude jumped onstage, screamed something about Pantera breaking up, and capped DD several times.

Sort of like that idiot that shot John Lennon, supposedly becase he scribbled an autograph for him earlier in the day.

Freaking lunatics, and at least the nutbar got shot shortly afterward, so there is some justice in the world.

[bandit29]

Sucks that he went out the way he did, but in the big scheme of things, he's just another dead pothead.

Tragedy? or Progress? 

<span style='font-size:14pt;line-height:100%'>F,uck you stupid a-hole</span>

Sorry, but the last I remember, the dude was a proudly open drug user, and I have little to no sympathy for known drug users.

I regret that he went out the way he did, and I hope he did not leave a wife and any children behind either.

This definitely is a first in the rock and roll world. It's old news in the Crap and Hip Hop genre, but totally unexpected.

According to the MTV article. the club had no metal detectors.

And isn't it ironic that these nutcases always pick the lamest reasons?. Apparently, the dude jumped onstage, screamed something about Pantera breaking up, and capped DD several times.

Sort of like that idiot that shot John Lennon, supposedly becase he scribbled an autograph for him earlier in the day.

Freaking lunatics, and at least the nutbar got shot shortly afterward, so there is some justice in the world.

You took a cheap shot. No class. Thats why you pissed me off. So go f,uck your self some more. You'll get no respect from me jag off.

And Dimebag was killed on the same day as John Lennon. kinda weird

If I get banned for this so be it...

[Mechamaniac]

Edit - not worth my time.

Edited December 9, 2004 by Mechamaniac

[JsARCLIGHT]

While I can't call myself a "Dimebag" fan I have to admit it was pretty darn low for a fan to jump up and "Lennon" him right there on stage. If there is any justice heads will roll over this... I'm predicting lawsuits against the club for not screening the patrons. Not necessarily from Dimebag's people but from the families of the four other dead folks.

And drug user or not no one deserves to be dropped while onstage doing something that brings joy to others. If he was robbing a liquor store while doped up on goofballs and shot a grandma then yes he deserved it but this Dimebag guy was just doing something he liked for people who liked him... and he got killed. Low. Very low.

I'm glad the perp is DOA.

I also think this will firestorm the club on concert circuit into mandatory door checks. I get the impression it was only certain artists or venues that did checks at their own discression before but now there is a precident... and proof that any locale can have trouble start.

Edited December 9, 2004 by JsARCLIGHT

[EXO]

Why couldn't it be a Motley Crew fan in a Tommy Lee concert?

Tommy Lee still performs right? I mean... besides on a boat with Pam Anderson?

[Mechamaniac]

Why couldn't it be a Motley Crew fan in a Tommy Lee concert?

Tommy Lee still performs right? I mean... besides on a boat with Pam Anderson?

LOL, reminds me of what Denis Leary said...

"Stevie Ray Vaughan's dead, and we can't get Jon Bon Jovi in a helicopter!"

[bandit29]

Edit - not worth my time.

Feel free to PM me your insight I'd love to read it....

And (unfortuantely for me)Motley Crue is going out on tour...

Damageplan was supposed to do a show for Toy for Tots this Friday morning at the House of Blues in Chicago with Kenny Wayne Shepperd and Saliva. The show is still going on though.

Edited December 9, 2004 by dejr8bud

[Mechamaniac]

Edit - not worth my time.

Feel free to PM me your insight I'd love to read it....

And (unfortuantely for me)Motley Crue is going out on tour...

Damageplan was supposed to do a show for Toy for Tots this Friday morning at the House of Blues in Chicago with Kenny Wayne Shepperd and Saliva. The show is still going on though.

Dude, let it go.

You're starting to look desperate to pick a fight that I am not going to engage in.

[Panzer]

thanks to that pussy Mechamaniac the Mormon our last thread was trashed.

but seriously, I heard the news this morning on Stern and was really bummed.

Pantera was my favorite band in high school and I even had a Dean guitar like Dimebag from the early eighties.

Strangely enough I haven't thought about that guitar in years but had a dream about it last night. Swear to God.

He was a guitar legend, and his talent was amazing. I'm just glad I got to see Pantera when I was a little kid. They were the hardest band evaaar.

[EXO]

the thread was gonna get locked anyway for being off topic. DA gave it an hour and a half to simmer and then locked it accordingly...

Regardless of MM being a mormon or a pussy...

[Kin]

dont they have an own forum?... btw I heared it on the news on Dutch TV. Life can suck. Theo van Gogh... who's next?

[Panzer]

oh yeah.. this is OT Anime or Science Fiction.. whoops

i post on another site that has a free reign OT forum. no worries if this one gets locked.