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http://edition.cnn.com/2004/US/12/09/night...ting/index.html

The attack came shortly after Damageplan began its performance at the Alrosa Villa nightclub on Columbus' north end.

One of the wounded is in critical condition, and the other is hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries, police said. Two others were hurt and treated at the scene, although the nature of their injuries was not clear.

The gunman initially shot the band's guitarist, Abbott, witnesses said.

He and his brother, Vinnie Paul Abbott, 40, formed Damageplan after Pantera -- a group they formed in the 1980s -- broke up last year. Their father is Jerry Abbott, a country and western songwriter and producer.

Archived topic from Anythingforums, old topic ID:1398, old post ID:17598

Man... I just don't know what to think about this.. other than.. Damn...

Archived topic from Anythingforums, old topic ID:1398, old post ID:17606

that's up.

Archived topic from Anythingforums, old topic ID:1398, old post ID:17681

Motive still unclear in nightclub massacre

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) -- Police are searching for answers as to why a man stormed the stage of a nighclub in Columbus, Ohio, and shot dead the lead guitarist of rock band Damageplan at least five times in the head. In just minutes, the gunman had killed three others with his silver pistol before being shot to death by a police officer.

The slain guitarist, "Dimebag" Darrell Abbott, 38, was the driving force behind the rock band Pantera, and police are looking into reports from witnesses that the gunman was a fan irate that the hugely influential group broke up. Some of the 500 people packed into the club Wednesday night to see Abbott's new band initially thought that the gunman was an excited fan or that the shootings were part of the show.

"I figured it was another fan wanting to jump off the stage and crowd surf," said Brian Kozicki, the club's lighting designer. "I think he knew he wasn't going to get out and he was going to take down as many people as he could."

Police identified the gunman as Nathan Gale, 25, who listened to Pantera music to psyche himself up before football games and would often hang out at a tattoo parlor and make a pest of himself by talking to customers about music, the manager of the tattoo shop said. "We may never know a motive for this, unless he left a note," Sgt. Brent Mull said.

A tattoo artist at the studio, Bo Toler, said Gale was there before the show and asked about having the studio order tattoo equipment for him. Toler told him no, and Gale got angry and started yelling. "Last night was actually the first time I noticed his temper," Toler said. "After the argument we had he kind of walked out with an attitude. He didn't even say goodbye."

Also killed in the shootings were Erin Halk, 29, a club employee who loaded band equipment; fan Nathan Bray, 23; and Jeff Thompson, 40, a bodyguard for the band. Two others were hospitalized. The nature of their injuries was not disclosed.

The guitarist's brother, Vinnie Paul Abbott, the drummer for Damageplan, was rushed to safety offstage and tearfully tried to learn his brother's fate from officers who had little information in the confusion.

Ozzy Osbourne: 'Beside myself with grief'

With his frenetic, ear-splitting guitar riffs, Dimebag Abbott created an aggressive sound for Pantera and attracted a cult following in the early 1990s. The band was nominated for Grammys in 1995 and 2001. The Abbott brothers left Pantera last year and released Damageplan's debut album, "New Found Power," in February. (Dimebag profile)

"I'm absolutely beside myself with grief. I can't for the life of me understand why someone would do this," said heavy metal legend Ozzy Osbourne, who often toured with Pantera.

Lines were deep Wednesday night at the Alrosa Villa club -- a popular venue for heavy metal for 30 years -- to buy T-shirts for Damageplan. As the lights dimmed, club security was trying to catch up to a man in a Columbus Blue Jackets hockey jersey over his sweatshirt, who some witness said was seen jumping the 8-foot wooden fence to enter the club. Others said he must have come from an open door behind the stage. The club has no metal detectors and employs unarmed security guards.

The tall, heavyset man eventually climbed onstage, as many Alrosa headbangers do. "At first we thought it was a hoax, and then when he fired again we knew it was real," said Jeremy Spencer, 16.

Kozicki, the lighting director, brought up the house lights and ducked under his control table, where he called 911 on his cell phone. Several calls followed, with one male caller saying: "He's on stage right now. He's got a gun. ... He just shot again." Fans surged toward the doors in fear.

Kozicki peeked from his table to see the gunman holding a man in a headlock. Police said the gunman appeared ready to shoot the hostage, who managed to duck just enough for Officer James D. Niggemeyer to take aim and kill Gale with a shotgun.

Makeshift memorial of flowers, beer

All day Thursday, fans left flowers and containers of beer by a boulder at the parking lot entrance, including a six-pack of Heineken with a marijuana bud tucked into the cardboard case.

About 200 people gathered for a vigil in the nightclub's parking lot Thursday night. At one point, a naked young man stood in the middle of the street, arms raised, cursing Gale. He was tackled and arrested by police.

Gale, who was an offensive lineman on a semi-pro football team, had a minor police record in Marysville, near Columbus, but was not considered a trouble maker.

The shootings came on the 24th anniversary of perhaps the most well-known assassination of a rock star -- that of former Beatle John Lennon outside his New York City apartment in 1980.

The anti-climatic ending of Pantera kinda makes this out of left field and a sad ending for someone who, regardless of what you think about the music, was a leader in their style, a true master. I feel sorry for his brother, who had to see it. 5 times..... in the head.....

Archived topic from Anythingforums, old topic ID:1398, old post ID:17718

The rock world suffers another tragic casualty.

I guess that guy really had a plan for damage.

Archived topic from Anythingforums, old topic ID:1398, old post ID:17742

talk about a vulgar display of power

Archived topic from Anythingforums, old topic ID:1398, old post ID:17744

I'm Broken over this...if I could only get 5 Minutes Alone with that guy...

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Archived topic from Anythingforums, old topic ID:1398, old post ID:17761

Legend wrote: I'm Broken over this...if I could only get 5 Minutes Alone with that guy...

Yeah legend, you and I could dominate him... make him suffer nipple torture, canings, and ultimately, a nullo operation.

Archived topic from Anythingforums, old topic ID:1398, old post ID:17772

I'm interested in this so-called..."nipple torture"....

o_____________O

haha

Archived topic from Anythingforums, old topic ID:1398, old post ID:17813

Legend wrote: I'm interested in this so-called..."nipple torture"....

o_____________O

haha

...me too....

Archived topic from Anythingforums, old topic ID:1398, old post ID:17814