A gunman opened fire last night (9th Dec) at a Damageplan gig in Columbus, Ohio. The man climbed onto the stage and began shooting shortly after the band began their set at 10pm, killing four and injuring two others. Guitarist Dimebag Darrell is among the dead. He was 38.

The attack, which happened at the Alrosa Villa club in Columbus, at the time packed with up to 250 people, ended when the gunman, 25 year old Nathan Gale of nearby Marysville, was shot dead by a police officer who snuck into the venue through the back entrance. Reports are that, at the time of this final confrontation, Gale had taken a hostage.

Columbus police spokesman Sergeant Brent Mull said, “If the officer wasn’t as close as he was, I think this would have been a lot worse. It was a chaotic scene, just a horrific scene.”

Guitarist Dimebag Darrell was pronounced dead at the scene, witnesses say that he was the first to be shot. Police have also the other men killed as club employee Erin Halk, 29, audience member Nathan Bray, 23, and Jeff Thompson, 40, who was affiliated with the band.

One witness, Chris Couch, 22, who said he was standing about 30 feet from the stage, said a man wearing a hooded sweatshirt and hockey jersey walked up to the stage.

“It was definitely a grudge. It was against something,” he said.

Another witness claimed to have heard Gale accuse Dimebag of being the cause of Pantera’s split last year, though no motive has been officially announced.

Tributes have been flowing in from fans and musicians. Ozzy Osbourne has said that he it “I’m absolutely beside myself with grief” and Drowning Pool have cancelled the remainder of their current tour out of respect.

Damageplan were formed in 2003 by guitarist “Dimebag” Darrell Abbott and his drummer brother Vinnie Paul Abbott after their former band, Pantera, split up. The band was completed by singer Pat Lachman and bassist Bob “Zilla” Kakaha.

Note:
Updated 9/12 11:45am
Updated 9/12 12:25pm
Updated 9/12 17:19pm
Updated 10/12 11:40am