Pantera's Guitarist Murdered On Stage
 

This is one of the band that I grew up with. I'm still shocked that anybody would do this.

Link to the Story

Re: Pantera's Guitarist Murdered On Stage
 

I just saw a link on my local newspaper's website about a bar shooting in Columbus, but didn't look at it. I can't believe this happened.

Forwarded link to my brother, who loved Pantera. My 9 year old neice used to play air guitar to their albums when she was a toddler.

Can anyone from Columbus tell me where the club is located. I haven't lived there since the mid-70's, but am curious to put a location with the story.

ETA

Here's a link to my old TV stations' coverage which answers my question and others,

http://www.nbc4i.com/news/3983630/detail.html

This is terrible. The morning radio show I normally listen to have been talking about this. Reportedly 5 people total were killed.

It's really sad when we live in a society in which one person who was upset over the breakup of a band just goes into a club and kills people. It's terrible.

Is that the alleged motive? The websites in Columbus are still saying the police haven't given a motive yet.

That's the alleged motive according to the sources that radio DJs were using.

I don't know if that has been confirmed yet though. They have however released the name of the gunman.

Have they release the other victim names? There are rumors flying around that Diamondbag's brother was one of the victim. The other rumor is their manager.

Not that I know of. It's a big story b/c the guys were from north texas.

One of the eye-witnesses called into the show (Kidd Kraddick show is broadcast in other areas as well) and from what I understood the gunman first went after Dimebag and shot him several times.. first once, then 4-5 more times. Then he shot his brother once, a bouncer or someone tried getting the gunman down, and the gunman turned around and shot him. He said people were screaming, some were crying b/c they didn't know what was going on.

He also said that the first shot was audible, but barely because of the music that had begun just a few moments before.

According to the sources of that particular show, a police officer was also killed.

Last I heard though, the condition of Dimebag's brother was unknown.

No, that's not correct. A Columbus Police officer was on patrol very close to the club, came in backstage, saw the gunman holding another person, and the officer shot the murderer to death.

Police officials say that had the officer not been so close and taken immediate action, that the incident could have been much worse.

Tributes from the metal community:

-Scott Ian of ANTHRAX:
"I am devastated as I'm sure we all are.
All I can convey at this moment are my condolences to Rita and Vinnie and the whole family.
My heart is with you.
Love,
Scott"

-Zakk Wylde of OZZY OSBOURNE / BLACK LABEL SOCIETY:
"We lost Dime tonight.
We have no official details, and I personally am not saying anything.
I want to thank Shawn Sexton (Sierra Nevada) from sdmfworldwide.com for calling Chad Lee and I in Chicago and bringing it to our attention, first and foremost.
Right now, I myself, and the entire Doome Crew Inc., those I've spoken to, can't even begin to try to f**kin' assemble words in sentences to tell you guys how we feel.

Give us a few days to circle the wagons. Whatever comes across officially from the family will be conveyed, as always, humbly by us."

-Howard Jones of KILLSWITCH ENGAGE:
"This is insane and this is beyond travesty. 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."

-Blasko of ROB ZOMBIE / OZZY OSBOURNE:
"I'm speechless. This is totally unreal. Dimebag is a f**king legend and this is total bullsh*t."

MÖTLEY CRÜE bassist Nikki Sixx offered the following: "Dime, I will never forget all the times you made us laugh. I'm so happy we got to spend the day together in London recently… We should all live our lives as full as you have. I will miss you, as will all of us... This is a sad day."

Rich Ward (FOZZY, STUCK MOJO): "Darrell was as nice as they come. During the times that I spent with him, I wondered why he played in such a heavy band. Not that he didn't have the ability to school all of us that dared to share a stage with him, but because he seemed like such a gentle and kind man. He had a great sense of humor and was someone that everyone in the room gravitated toward. He never carried himself like the big rock star that he really was, instead he came across humble and appreciative. I consider it a privilege to have known him, as he was one of the 'real' guys in the business and as Zakk [Wylde] would say, 'one of the boys'!"

Shaun Glass (SOIL): "Today I am saddened to say I lost my friend and hero it sickens me that someone would take away a person that brought so much joy to so many people. Love ya, Double D."

Jon Dette (ex-SLAYER, TESTAMENT): "My brother just called to tell me that Dimebag Darrell was shot and killed on stage tonight. Words cannot express the sadness I'm feeling right now and my condolences go out to Vinnie Paul and the Abbott family for their loss. This is a huge tragedy for the music world."

Orange County, California-based sextet BLEED THE SKY: "It's a sad day in heavy metal, Dimebag Darrell formerly of PANTERA, was shot and killed while performing with DAMAGEPLAN in Ohio. We would more than likely not be a band if it wasn't for him, and can't possibly imagine the pain that his brother and his family must be in. RIP, brother, heavy music will never be the same without you."

That must have been something the other radio sources didn't quite get right. That was just what they had heard early this morning and the police officer information did not come from the eye-witness that called in.

I'm glad at least he didn't get hurt .. and it was definitely a good thing he was in the area.

Besides Abbott and Gale, police identified the dead as Nathan Bray, 23; Erin Halk, 29, and Jeff Thompson, 40.

ETA

According to AP, the officer saw the gunman holding a "hostage" in what appeared to be a headlock. The hostage twisted away and the officer hit the shooter in the face with a "rifle."

(more likely a shotgun which is much more often carried by police than rifles.)

ETA again

It is now confirmed that the officer killed the shooter with one round from his shotgun.

Damn. I grew up listening to them. My bro was speechless when I called to tell him b/c Pantera was his favorite band in the world & he must have seen them in concert at least 9 times before they broke up.
This is one fucked up world. :(

Dimebag Darrell will be missed :(

Friday morning update from NBC's owned station in Columbus can be found at:

www.nbc4i.com