One of the member of DAMAGEPLAN band has been shot dead.
Dimebag and 3 fans shot dead
Columbus, Ohio, Dec. 9 — Damageplan guitarist ‘Dimebag’ Darrell Abbott and 3 members of the audience have been shot dead at the Alrosa Villa nightclub in Columbus, Ohio, by an unidentified gunman who jumped on stage during a Damageplan concert. The gunman was later killed by a policeman.
Soon after Damageplan began playing last night, a gunman charged the stage and began firing at Damageplan and into the crowd. Three people in the audience were killed before a police officer fatally shot the gunman. Dimebag Darell Abbott, 38, was formerly a member of Texas thrash metal giants Pantera.
Top metal guitarist, Dimebag Darrell (born Darrell Abbott), who was fatally shot during the Damageplan performance, was a frenetic, ear-shattering guitarist whose riffs for Pantera and more recently Damageplan were a staple of heavy metal music.
The still-unidentified shooter, dressed in a hooded sweatshirt and hockey jersey, jumped onstage at about 10 p.m., just as Damageplan were beginning their first song. After making a statement about the breakup of Pantera, he shot Dimebag Darrell Abbott in the chest several times at close range and then turned his gun on the crowd of hundreds. Among those killed in the audience were Nathan Bray and Erin Halk — the third victim and two wounded have not yet been named.
A police officer patrolling the area heard the shots coming from inside the club and entered through the back door to investigate. The officer then fatally shot the gunman, who at the time was holding an unidentified hostage by the neck.
Approximately 200 audience members were questioned by police after the incident.
Formed in early 2003 soon after the breakup of Pantera, Damageplan also includes singer Patrick Lachman, bassist Bob Zilla and Abbott's brother, ex-Pantera drummer Vinnie Paul. Their debut album, New Found Power, was released last February.
