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On December 8, 2004, four people were murdered and three others were wounded in a
mass shooting A mass shooting is a violent crime in which one or more attackers use a firearm to Gun violence, kill or injure multiple individuals in rapid succession. There is no widely accepted specific definition, and different organizations tracking su ...
at the Alrosa Villa nightclub in
Columbus, Ohio Columbus (, ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of cities in Ohio, most populous city of the U.S. state of Ohio. With a 2020 United States census, 2020 census population of 905,748, it is the List of United States ...
,
United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...
. The main target of the attack was "Dimebag" Darrell Abbott, who was on stage performing with his band
Damageplan Damageplan was an American heavy metal band from Dallas, Texas, formed in 2003. Following the demise of their previous group Pantera, brothers Dimebag Darrell and Vinnie Paul Abbott wanted to start a new band. The pair recruited former Halfor ...
at the time of the shooting. During the opening song, 25-year-old Nathan Gale rushed the stage and fired his gun several times, killing Abbott. Three minutes after opening fire, Gale was shot and killed by police officer James Niggemeyer. Abbott sustained multiple gunshot wounds to the head and was pronounced dead at the scene. The other fatalities were Jeffrey "Mayhem" Thompson, Damageplan's head of security who tackled Gale; Erin Halk, an Alrosa employee who tried to restrain Gale; and Damageplan fan Nathan Bray, who had jumped onto the stage to aid Abbott and Thompson. Damageplan's tour manager Chris Paluska and drum technician John Brooks suffered non-fatal gunshot wounds and were taken to
Riverside Methodist Hospital OhioHealth Riverside Methodist Hospital is the largest member hospital of OhioHealth, a not-for-profit, faith-based healthcare system located in Columbus, Ohio. As a regional tertiary care hospital, Riverside Methodist is host to a number of sp ...
, while road crew member Travis Burnett was treated at the scene. The motive for the shooting is still unknown. Gale, a former member of the
United States Marine Corps The United States Marine Corps (USMC), also referred to as the United States Marines or simply the Marines, is the maritime land force service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is responsible for conducting expeditionar ...
, had told his mother and employer that he had been discharged due to
paranoid schizophrenia Schizophrenia () is a mental disorder characterized variously by hallucinations (typically, hearing voices), delusions, disorganized thinking and behavior, and flat or inappropriate affect. Symptoms develop gradually and typically begin ...
, and many of his friends observed erratic behavior from Gale in the months leading up to the shooting. Some news outlets claimed that Gale was angry with Abbott for the dissolution of his previous band
Pantera Pantera () is an American Heavy metal music, heavy metal band formed in Arlington, Texas in 1981 by the Abbott brothers (guitarist Dimebag Darrell and drummer Vinnie Paul), and currently composed of vocalist Phil Anselmo, bassist Rex Brown, an ...
, while others believed that Gale was operating under the delusion that Pantera had
plagiarized Plagiarism is the representation of another person's language, thoughts, ideas, or expressions as one's own original work.From the 1995 '' Random House Compact Unabridged Dictionary'': use or close imitation of the language and thoughts of anothe ...
his lyrics and were attempting to steal his identity. A number of heavy metal artists released tributes to Abbott after his death, while others pushed for increased security at concerts to prevent another such incident. Niggemeyer was valorized for his action and later retired from the police department in 2011 with
post-traumatic stress disorder Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a mental disorder that develops from experiencing a Psychological trauma, traumatic event, such as sexual assault, domestic violence, child abuse, warfare and its associated traumas, natural disaster ...
. Abbott's brother and Pantera drummer
Vinnie Paul Vincent Paul Abbott (March 11, 1964 – June 22, 2018) was an American musician best known for being the drummer and co-founder of the heavy metal music, heavy metal band Pantera. He also co-founded Damageplan in 2003 with his younger brother, ...
resented singer
Phil Anselmo Philip Hansen Anselmo (born June 30, 1968) is an American musician best known as the lead singer for groove metal band Pantera, southern metal supergroup Down (band), Down, and Hardcore punk, hardcore band Superjoint, amongst other musical proj ...
for his perceived role in influencing the shooter, and remained distant from the other members of the band until his death in 2018.


Background

Guitarist Darrell Abbott, better known by his stage name of "Dimebag Darrell", founded the American heavy metal band
Pantera Pantera () is an American Heavy metal music, heavy metal band formed in Arlington, Texas in 1981 by the Abbott brothers (guitarist Dimebag Darrell and drummer Vinnie Paul), and currently composed of vocalist Phil Anselmo, bassist Rex Brown, an ...
in 1981 alongside his brother Vincent Abbott, better known as
Vinnie Paul Vincent Paul Abbott (March 11, 1964 – June 22, 2018) was an American musician best known for being the drummer and co-founder of the heavy metal music, heavy metal band Pantera. He also co-founded Damageplan in 2003 with his younger brother, ...
. After the release of their album ''
Reinventing the Steel ''Reinventing the Steel'' is the ninth and final studio album by American heavy metal band Pantera, released on March 21, 2000, March 27 in the UK and April 5 in Japan, through Elektra Records and East West Records. Background ''Reinventing the ...
'' in 2000, tensions arose between the Abbott brothers and lead singer
Phil Anselmo Philip Hansen Anselmo (born June 30, 1968) is an American musician best known as the lead singer for groove metal band Pantera, southern metal supergroup Down (band), Down, and Hardcore punk, hardcore band Superjoint, amongst other musical proj ...
, and although Pantera never officially disbanded, by 2003, the band members had moved on to other projects. The Abbott brothers recruited
Patrick Lachman Patrick "Pat" Lachman (born 1970) is an American Heavy metal music, heavy metal guitarist and vocalist, best known as the lead vocalist of Damageplan. He has also played guitar for Halford (band), Halford, Killswitch Engage, The Mercy Clinic and ...
, former guitarist for Halford, to form the heavy metal band
Damageplan Damageplan was an American heavy metal band from Dallas, Texas, formed in 2003. Following the demise of their previous group Pantera, brothers Dimebag Darrell and Vinnie Paul Abbott wanted to start a new band. The pair recruited former Halfor ...
. Damageplan released their first album, ''
New Found Power ''New Found Power'' is the only studio album released by the American heavy metal supergroup Damageplan. The group was formed by brothers "Dimebag" Darrell Abbott (guitar) and Vinnie Paul Abbott (drums) after the breakup of their previous band, ...
'', in February 2004, and spent most of the year on tour to promote the title. On April 8, 2004, a Pantera fan named Nathan Gale interrupted a Damageplan performance at
Bogart's Bogart's is a music venue located in the Corryville, Cincinnati, Ohio, Corryville neighborhood of Cincinnati, Ohio, near the University of Cincinnati, across Vine Street from the former Sudsy Malone's Rock 'n Roll Laundry & Bar. History The venu ...
nightclub in
Cincinnati Cincinnati ( ; colloquially nicknamed Cincy) is a city in Hamilton County, Ohio, United States, and its county seat. Settled in 1788, the city is located on the northern side of the confluence of the Licking River (Kentucky), Licking and Ohio Ri ...
,
Ohio Ohio ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders Lake Erie to the north, Pennsylvania to the east, West Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Indiana to the ...
, jumping onto the stage and causing
US$ The United States dollar (Currency symbol, symbol: Dollar sign, $; ISO 4217, currency code: USD) is the official currency of the United States and International use of the U.S. dollar, several other countries. The Coinage Act of 1792 introdu ...
1,800 of damage to lighting and other stage equipment during an ensuing police struggle. While officers responding to a
9-1-1 911, sometimes written , is an emergency telephone number for Argentina, Canada, the Dominican Republic, Fiji, Jordan, Mexico, Pakistan, Maldives, Palau, Panama, Iraq, the Philippines, Sint Maarten, the United States, and Uruguay, as well as ...
call about the incident noted Gale's actions as criminal endangerment and
destruction of property Property damage (sometimes called damage to property) is the damage or destruction of real or tangible personal property, caused by negligence, willful destruction, or an act of nature. Destruction of property (sometimes called property dest ...
, Damageplan elected not to press charges as they did not want to return to Cincinnati for court proceedings. The band was unfazed by the incident. An attendee later stated that, after Gale had been removed from the venue, Lachman had joked, "I'd like to introduce you to the fifth member of the xpletiveband."


Shooting

On Wednesday, December 8, 2004, Damageplan was headlining a concert at the Alrosa Villa nightclub in
Columbus, Ohio Columbus (, ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of cities in Ohio, most populous city of the U.S. state of Ohio. With a 2020 United States census, 2020 census population of 905,748, it is the List of United States ...
. The venue had a capacity of 600 and had sold 250 tickets for the evening's show. Club manager Rick Cautela and other concertgoers noticed Gale
loitering Loitering is the act of standing or waiting around idly without apparent purpose in some public places. While the laws regarding loitering have been challenged and changed over time, loitering of suspect people can be illegal in some jurisdict ...
in the parking lot during the
opening act An opening act, also known as a warm-up act, support act, supporting act or opener, is an entertainment act (musical, comedic, or otherwise), that performs at a concert before the featured act, or "headliner". Rarely, an opening act may perform ...
s, Volume Dealer and 12 Gauge, and asked why he was outside, to which he responded, "I don't want to see no shitty local bands ..I'm gonna wait for Damageplan." By the time that Damageplan took the stage at 10:15 p.m. EST, the crowd had grown to approximately 400. Gale entered the premises by scaling a wooden fence on the north side of the venue and entering through a patio door. At 10:20 p.m., partway into the opening song of Damageplan's set, Gale, dressed in a
Columbus Blue Jackets The Columbus Blue Jackets (often simply referred to as the Jackets) are a professional ice hockey team based in Columbus, Ohio. The Blue Jackets compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern C ...
hockey jersey and a hooded sweatshirt, jumped onto the stage and drew his
Beretta 92FS The Beretta 92 (also Beretta 96 and Beretta 98) is a series of semi-automatic pistols designed and manufactured by Beretta of Italy. History Carlo Beretta, Giuseppe Mazzetti and Vittorio Valle, all experienced firearms designers, contributed to ...
9mm This is a list of firearm cartridges that have bullets in the to caliber In guns, particularly firearms, but not #As a measurement of length, artillery, where a different definition may apply, caliber (or calibre; sometimes abbreviate ...
semi-automatic pistol A semi-automatic pistol (also called a self-loading pistol, autopistol, or autoloading pistol) is a repeating firearm, repeating handgun that automatically ejects and loads cartridge (firearms), cartridges in its chamber (firearms), chamber afte ...
. He moved directly towards Abbott and shot him four times at
point-blank range Point-blank range is any distance over which a certain firearm or gun can hit a target without the need to elevate the barrel to compensate for bullet drop, i.e. the gun can be pointed horizontally at the target. For targets beyond-blank range ...
: in the right cheek, the left ear, the back of the head, and the right hand. Joe Dameron, the bassist for Volume Dealer, said that Gale shouted something but did not know what. Some attendees did not realize that a shooting had taken place, with security guard Ryan Melchiore stating, "people were pumping their fists, thinking it was a hoax." After shooting Abbott, Gale began firing on the other attendees, beginning with tour manager Chris Paluska, who was shot once in the chest before Damageplan security chief Jeffrey "Mayhem" Thompson tackled Gale from behind. Thompson was fatally shot in the chest, back, and upper thigh in the ensuing struggle. Nathan Bray, a Damageplan fan, leapt onto the stage and was fatally shot in the chest while attempting to resuscitate Abbott and Thompson. Erin "Stoney" Halk, an Alrosa Villa employee and former Marine who had either assisted Thompson or had charged Gale while he was reloading, was mortally wounded by six shots: four in the chest, one in the hand, and one in the leg. Travis Burnett, a member of Volume Dealer's road crew, attempted to disarm Gale and was grazed by a bullet on his left forearm. Burnett fled the scene when subsequent gunshots were aimed at his head. Drum technician John "Kat" Brooks attempted to subdue Gale. He was shot twice in the leg and was taken as a hostage. Responding within three minutes to a
9-1-1 911, sometimes written , is an emergency telephone number for Argentina, Canada, the Dominican Republic, Fiji, Jordan, Mexico, Pakistan, Maldives, Palau, Panama, Iraq, the Philippines, Sint Maarten, the United States, and Uruguay, as well as ...
dispatch call, Officer James Niggemeyer of the Columbus Division of Police (CPD) entered the club through a backstage door and shot Gale once in the face with a
12-gauge The gauge (in American English or more commonly referred to as bore in British English) of a firearm is a unit of measurement used to express the inner diameter (bore diameter) and other necessary parameters to define in general a smoothbore barr ...
Remington Model 870 The Remington Model 870 is a Pump action shotgun, pump-action shotgun manufactured by Remington Arms, Remington Arms Company, LLC. It is widely used by the public for shooting sports, hunting and self-defense, as well as by law enforcement and mi ...
shotgun A shotgun (also known as a scattergun, peppergun, or historically as a fowling piece) is a long gun, long-barreled firearm designed to shoot a straight-walled cartridge (firearms), cartridge known as a shotshell, which discharges numerous small ...
, killing him instantly. At the time of his death, Gale had a half-full magazine in his Beretta and another 30 rounds of ammunition on his person. He had fired 15 rounds during the attack. Fans removed Abbott from the stage and attempted
cardiopulmonary resuscitation Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) is an emergency procedure used during Cardiac arrest, cardiac or Respiratory arrest, respiratory arrest that involves chest compressions, often combined with artificial ventilation, to preserve brain function ...
until paramedics arrived at the scene, where Abbott was pronounced dead. He was 38 years old. Thompson, 40, and Halk, 29, were also pronounced dead at the scene, while Bray, 23, was transported to the
Riverside Methodist Hospital OhioHealth Riverside Methodist Hospital is the largest member hospital of OhioHealth, a not-for-profit, faith-based healthcare system located in Columbus, Ohio. As a regional tertiary care hospital, Riverside Methodist is host to a number of sp ...
and was declared dead at 11:10 p.m. Paluska and Brooks were also transported to Riverside, where they ultimately survived and recovered from their injuries. Burnett received treatment at the scene and declined transport to the hospital.


Perpetrator

Nathan Miles Gale (September 11, 1979 - December 8, 2004) Was born in
Chicago Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...
,
Illinois Illinois ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern United States. It borders on Lake Michigan to its northeast, the Mississippi River to its west, and the Wabash River, Wabash and Ohio River, Ohio rivers to its ...
, and the youngest of three sons to Gerald and Mary Gale. He spent the first few years of his life in the Chicago suburb of
Lansing Lansing () is the capital city of the U.S. state of Michigan. The most populous city in Ingham County, parts of the city extend into Eaton County and north into Clinton County. It is the sixth-most populous city in Michigan with a popul ...
until his parents divorced; he then moved with his mother to
Marysville, Ohio Marysville is a city in Union County, Ohio, United States, and its county seat. The population was 25,571 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. Located approximately northwest of Columbus, Ohio, Columbus, it is part of the Columbus met ...
, while his two older brothers stayed behind with their father. Gale initially attended Benjamin Logan High School, where he briefly wrestled, but transferred to Marysville High partway through his junior year. He enrolled in a vocational program at the Ohio Hi-Point Career Center, where he studied construction and electrical work, and graduated in 1998. Gale lived with his mother after graduation, working a variety of
minimum wage A minimum wage is the lowest remuneration that employers can legally pay their employees—the price floor below which employees may not sell their labor. List of countries by minimum wage, Most countries had introduced minimum wage legislation b ...
jobs and developing a problem with
substance abuse Substance misuse, also known as drug misuse or, in older vernacular, substance abuse, is the use of a drug in amounts or by methods that are harmful to the individual or others. It is a form of substance-related disorder, differing definition ...
. He often complained of being watched, which his mother attributed to his drug use. When a violent confrontation with his mother led to police intervention, Gale was thrown out of the house and became homeless. He supported himself through panhandling and theft until he agreed to enter a
drug rehabilitation Drug rehabilitation is the process of medical or psychotherapeutic treatment for dependency on psychoactive substances such as alcohol, prescription drugs, and street drugs such as cannabis, cocaine, heroin, and amphetamines. The general int ...
program, after which his mother allowed him to return. Gale's encounters with law enforcement at this time were minor: some
trespassing Trespass to land, also called trespass to realty or trespass to real property, or sometimes simply trespass, is a common law tort or a crime that is committed when an individual or the object of an individual intentionally (or, in Australia, ...
charges from skateboarding, as well as one instance where he was accused of stealing from work. In February 2002, inspired by the
September 11 attacks The September 11 attacks, also known as 9/11, were four coordinated Islamist terrorist suicide attacks by al-Qaeda against the United States in 2001. Nineteen terrorists hijacked four commercial airliners, crashing the first two into ...
, Gale enlisted in the
United States Marine Corps The United States Marine Corps (USMC), also referred to as the United States Marines or simply the Marines, is the maritime land force service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is responsible for conducting expeditionar ...
(USMC). Proud of his military service, Gale's mother purchased the Beretta pistol as a Christmas present after he completed
basic training Military recruit training, commonly known as basic training or boot camp, refers to the initial instruction of new military personnel. It is a physically and psychologically intensive process, which resocializes its subjects for the unique dema ...
. Gale was stationed at
Camp Lejeune Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune ( or ) is a United States military training facility in Jacksonville, North Carolina. Its of beaches make the base a major area for amphibious assault training, and its location between two deep-water ports ( ...
in
North Carolina North Carolina ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, South Carolina to the south, Georgia (U.S. stat ...
with the
2nd Marine Division The 2nd Marine Division (2nd MARDIV) is a division of the United States Marine Corps, which forms the ground combat element of the II Marine Expeditionary Force (II MEF). The division is based at Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, North Carolina a ...
until he was discharged in November 2003, less than halfway through the typical four-year enlistment period. A USMC spokeswoman declined to explain the reason behind Gale's
military discharge A military discharge is given when a member of the armed forces is released from their obligation to serve. Each country's military has different types of discharge. They are generally based on whether the persons completed their training and the ...
. Gale told his mother that he had been discharged due to being diagnosed with
paranoid schizophrenia Schizophrenia () is a mental disorder characterized variously by hallucinations (typically, hearing voices), delusions, disorganized thinking and behavior, and flat or inappropriate affect. Symptoms develop gradually and typically begin ...
. Although he had returned with medication, he declined additional treatment after returning home. The
Department of Veteran Affairs Veterans' affairs is an area of public policy concerned with relations between a government and its communities of military veterans. Some jurisdictions have a designated government agency or department, a Department of Veterans' Affairs, Minist ...
found Gale a job as a mechanic, and he informed his employer, Rich Cencula, of his condition. An
autopsy An autopsy (also referred to as post-mortem examination, obduction, necropsy, or autopsia cadaverum) is a surgical procedure that consists of a thorough examination of a corpse by dissection to determine the cause, mode, and manner of deat ...
performed by the Franklin County coroner's office found no trace of drugs in Gale's system, prescription or otherwise. Standing and weighing over , Gale decided to take up
boxing Boxing is a combat sport and martial art. Taking place in a boxing ring, it involves two people – usually wearing protective equipment, such as boxing glove, protective gloves, hand wraps, and mouthguards – throwing Punch (combat), punch ...
and
football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...
after his military discharge. He joined the Lima Thunder, a semi-professional football team in northwest Ohio, as an
offensive lineman In gridiron football, a lineman is a player who specializes in play at the line of scrimmage. The linemen of the team currently in possession of the ball are the offensive line (OL), while linemen on the opposing team are the defensive line ( ...
, and would listen to Pantera before games. Gale, a lifelong fan of heavy metal, became obsessed with Pantera while he was in high school, and remained fixated on the band even after their 2003 separation. Gale's former friend Dave Johnson told reporters that Gale had shown up at a mutual friend's house with Pantera lyrics that he had claimed were his own, asserting that Pantera had
plagiarized Plagiarism is the representation of another person's language, thoughts, ideas, or expressions as one's own original work.From the 1995 '' Random House Compact Unabridged Dictionary'': use or close imitation of the language and thoughts of anothe ...
the lyrics and were attempting to steal his identity. Many of Gale's friends began to distance themselves from him as his behavior became increasingly erratic; once, he told his former friend Mark Break that God was asking him to kill
Marilyn Manson Brian Hugh Warner (born January 5, 1969), known professionally as Marilyn Manson, is an American rock musician. He is the lead singer and the only original member remaining of the Marilyn Manson (band), same-titled band he founded in 1989. Th ...
. Others noted that he would talk and laugh to himself, would pretend to hold an imaginary dog, and that he would bother patrons at the tattoo parlor across the street from his apartment, staring at clients and engaging them in conversations about heavy metal music. Gale's neighbors remembered him as quiet and aloof. He had been stopped multiple times for traffic citations, and had been charged with criminal trespassing for both skateboarding and sleeping outside. At the time of the shooting, Gale lived alone in an apartment above an abandoned storefront. After the shooting, police officers found two handwritten notes inside the apartment. One read, "You'll see come alive. I'll take your life and make it mine. This is my life I'm gone. Git me." The other read, "You'll see the sky fall. I'll makes Pig fly. Come on and give me some, Come on give me some. Do it and Die, Do it and Die."


Aftermath

After the shooting, it was speculated that Gale had been motivated by Pantera's disbandment, with initial reports claiming that he had shouted, "You broke up Pantera" or, "This is for breaking up Pantera" before opening fire, statements never corroborated by witnesses. Others cited a ''
Metal Hammer ''Metal Hammer'' is a heavy metal music magazine and website founded in 1983, published in the United Kingdom by Future, with other language editions published by different companies available in numerous other countries. ''Metal Hammer'' featu ...
'' interview with Anselmo that had been published shortly before the shooting, where Anselmo said that Abbott "deserves to be beaten severely". Investigators found no evidence that Gale had been motivated either by Pantera's split or by the dispute between Abbott and Anselmo, and were unable to find evidence that Gale had read the interview. The fact that the shooting occurred exactly 24 years after the
murder of John Lennon On the evening of 8 December 1980, the English musician John Lennon, formerly of the Beatles, was shot and fatally wounded in the archway of the Dakota, his residence in New York City. The killer, Mark David Chapman, was an American Beatles fa ...
was dismissed as coincidental. After listening to the recording of the ''Metal Hammer'' interview, Vinnie Paul concluded that Anselmo had not been joking about the "beaten severely" comment, and from that point he declined to speak with Anselmo or Pantera bassist
Rex Brown Rex Robert Brown (born July 27, 1964) is an American musician. He is the longtime bassist for heavy metal band Pantera, having joined the band in 1982. Following the band's reunion in 2022, Brown is the longest-serving member of the band. He i ...
. Although plans for a Pantera reunion tour had been discussed, with
Zakk Wylde Zachary Phillip Wylde (born Jeffrey Phillip Wielandt; January 14, 1967) is an American rock musician. He is best known as the lead guitarist for Ozzy Osbourne and as the founder, lead guitarist, lead singer, songwriter and producer of the heav ...
filling in for Abbott, the rift with Vinnie remained until his death in 2018. The band eventually reunited in 2022 for a series of tours, with Wylde and
Charlie Benante Charles Lee Benante (born November 27, 1962) is an American musician, best known as the drummer for thrash metal band Anthrax (American band), Anthrax and crossover thrash band Stormtroopers of Death. Known as one of the pioneers of Bass drum, d ...
filling in for Abbott and Paul, respectively. Niggemeyer, the on-duty police officer who had engaged in deadly force, was brought before a
grand jury A grand jury is a jury empowered by law to conduct legal proceedings, investigate potential criminal conduct, and determine whether criminal charges should be brought. A grand jury may subpoena physical evidence or a person to testify. A grand ju ...
as standard procedure to determine if there had been any wrongdoing. At no point did prosecutor Ron O'Brien expect Niggemeyer to be charged, and he was cleared of wrongdoing on May 23, 2005. Niggemeyer received a number of awards for his actions during the shooting: he was a finalist for a bravery award given by ''
America's Most Wanted ''America's Most Wanted'' (often abbreviated as ''AMW'') is an American television program whose first run was produced by 20th Television, and second run is under the Fox Entertainment#Fox Alternative Entertainment, Fox Alternative Entertain ...
'', was given the Distinguished Law Enforcement Valor Award from
Ohio attorney general The Ohio attorney general is the chief legal officer of the state of Ohio in the United States. The office is filled by general election, held every four years. The Ohio attorney general is Republican Dave Yost. History The office of the att ...
Jim Petro James M. Petro (born October 25, 1948) is an American lawyer and politician of the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party who served as the Ohio Attorney General, Attorney General of Ohio. Previously, Petro also served as Ohio State ...
, and was named the Law Enforcement Officer of the Year in 2005 by the
National Rifle Association The National Rifle Association of America (NRA) is a gun rights advocacy group based in the United States. Founded in 1871 to advance rifle marksmanship, the modern NRA has become a prominent Gun politics in the United States, gun rights ...
. Gale's mother referred to Niggemeyer as a "hero", and told reporters, "I give that man credit. You'll never know how many lives he saved." Niggemeyer remained a
first responder A first responder is a person with specialized training who is among the first to arrive and provide assistance or incident resolution at the scene of an emergency. First responders typically include Law enforcement, law enforcement officers (co ...
for three years before becoming a robbery detective on the advice of his doctors, who had diagnosed him with
post-traumatic stress disorder Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a mental disorder that develops from experiencing a Psychological trauma, traumatic event, such as sexual assault, domestic violence, child abuse, warfare and its associated traumas, natural disaster ...
and a severe
anxiety disorder Anxiety disorders are a group of mental disorders characterized by significant and uncontrollable feelings of anxiety and fear such that a person's social, occupational, and personal functions are significantly impaired. Anxiety may cause phys ...
. He left the CPD in 2011 to take a different job with the city, and as of 2014 remained friends with both Cautela and with Halk's brother Andy. The shooting raised concerns within the music community over concert security and the prevalence of fans leaping onto the stage.
Anthrax Anthrax is an infection caused by the bacterium '' Bacillus anthracis'' or ''Bacillus cereus'' biovar ''anthracis''. Infection typically occurs by contact with the skin, inhalation, or intestinal absorption. Symptom onset occurs between one ...
guitarist
Scott Ian Scott Ian (born Scott Ian Rosenfeld, December 31, 1963) is an American musician, best known as the rhythm guitarist, lyricist and co-founder of the thrash metal band Anthrax (American band), Anthrax, of which he is the sole continuous member. Ia ...
said that his view of stage rushers changed after Abbott's murder, and that, "I don't give a fuck how much fun you're having. Stay the fuck off the stage." Immediately after the shooting, many concert venues tightened their security standards by hiring off-duty police officers as guards, checking attendees' pockets and bags more thoroughly, and in some cases studying setlists to anticipate when fans may become troublesome. By 2014, however,
Cannibal Corpse Cannibal Corpse is an American death metal band formed in Buffalo, New York, in 1988, now based in Tampa, Florida. The band has released sixteen studio albums, two box sets, four video albums, and two live albums. The band has had little radio ...
drummer Paul Mazurkiewicz and
We Are Harlot We Are Harlot, often shortened to just Harlot, is a hard rock supergroup organized by singer Danny Worsnop, of Asking Alexandria, and guitarist Jeff George, who was formerly Eminem's and Sebastian Bach's guitarist. The lineup also includes ...
guitarist Jeff George noted that many venues had relaxed their security protocols due to the associated costs. When
Christina Grimmie Christina Victoria Grimmie (March 12, 1994 – June 10, 2016) was an American singer and internet personality. In 2009, she began posting covers of popular songs onto YouTube. After releasing her debut EP, '' Find Me'' (2011), her YouTube c ...
was fatally shot by an obsessed fan in Florida during a 2016 meet and greet event outside The Plaza Live, a venue without metal detectors, the Pantera
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account called on venues and promoters to improve their security to protect artists. The Alrosa Villa nightclub was listed for sale in late 2019, following the death of its founders, Al and Rosa Cautela. Their children continued operating the venue until 2020, when the COVID-19 pandemic forced music venues and bars to close indefinitely. In June 2021, the city of Columbus announced that the venue would be demolished to make way for a
housing project Public housing, also known as social housing, refers to Subsidized housing, subsidized or affordable housing provided in buildings that are usually owned and managed by local government, central government, nonprofit organizations or a ...
. The Alrosa Villa was demolished in December 2021.


Tributes

Abbott was a popular and influential figure in the heavy metal community, and his death created a mass outpouring of grief among other bands and artists of the time. One of the first artists to create a musical tribute to Abbott was
Black Label Society Black Label Society is an American heavy metal/southern metal band formed in Los Angeles in 1998 by guitarist/singer Zakk Wylde. To date, the band has released eleven studio albums, two live albums, two compilation albums, one EP, and three ...
, whose
music video A music video is a video that integrates a song or an album with imagery that is produced for promotion (marketing), promotional or musical artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a music marketing device intended to ...
for "
In This River "In This River" is a song by American heavy metal band Black Label Society, a power ballad featured on their 2005 sixth studio album ''Mafia''. Performed entirely by guitarist, vocalist and pianist Zakk Wylde (who also wrote and produced the song ...
" depicts Wylde and Abbott as children attempting to swim across a river; while Wylde survives, Abbott does not.
Type O Negative Type O Negative was an American gothic/doom metal band formed in Brooklyn, New York City in 1989 by Peter Steele (bass, lead vocals), Kenny Hickey (guitar, co-lead vocals), Josh Silver (keyboards, backing vocals), and Sal Abruscato (drums ...
, who were close friends with Abbott, waited until 2007 to release the track "Halloween in Heaven", off of the album ''
Dead Again ''Dead Again'' is a 1991 neo-noir romantic thriller film directed by Kenneth Branagh and written by Scott Frank. It stars Branagh and Emma Thompson, with Andy García, Derek Jacobi, Hanna Schygulla, Wayne Knight, and Robin Williams appea ...
''. Frontman
Peter Steele Peter Thomas Ratajczyk (January 4, 1962 – April 14, 2010), known professionally as Peter Steele, was an American musician, best known as the lead vocalist, bassist and composer of the gothic metal band Type O Negative. Before forming Type O N ...
told
MTV MTV (an initialism of Music Television) is an American cable television television channel, channel and the flagship property of the MTV Entertainment Group sub-division of the Paramount Media Networks division of Paramount Global. Launched on ...
, "I didn't want to exploit bbott'sname because it was so soon after his death." Vinnie Paul donated an unreleased 24-second guitar solo to
Nickelback Nickelback is a Canadian Rock music, rock band formed in 1995 in Hanna, Alberta, Hanna, Alberta. Throughout its history, it has consisted of lead guitarist and lead vocalist Chad Kroeger, rhythm guitarist, keyboardist and backing vocalist Ryan ...
that they incorporated into the 2005 track " Side of a Bullet", which describes the shooting from the point of view of the killer. Other tribute songs include "Dimes in Heaven" by
Brides of Destruction Brides of Destruction was an American hard rock supergroup from Los Angeles, California, formed in 2002. The band's last lineup consisted of singer London LeGrand (vocals), Tracii Guns (lead guitar) and Scot Coogan (drums, percussion). Previ ...
and "Dimebag" by
Cross Canadian Ragweed Cross Canadian Ragweed is an American country and rock band formed in Yukon, Oklahoma in 1994. The original members of the band is how the name was formed. Cross- Grady Cross, Canadian- Cody Canada, Rag- Randy Ragsdale, Weed- Matt Wiedemann. The ...
, while the 2005 albums ''
Ten Thousand Fists ''Ten Thousand Fists'' is the third studio album by American heavy metal band Disturbed. It was released on September 20, 2005, by Reprise Records and became Disturbed's second consecutive number 1 debut on the ''Billboard'' 200 in the United ...
'' by Disturbed, '' Lifesblood for the Downtrodden'' by
Crowbar A crowbar, also called a wrecking bar, pry bar or prybar, pinch-bar, or occasionally a prise bar or prisebar, colloquially gooseneck, or pig bar, or in Australia a jemmy, is a lever consisting of a metal bar with a single curved end and flat ...
, and ''
Start a War ''Start a War'' is the fourth studio album by American industrial metal band Static-X, released on June 14 2005. A special version was shipped with an additional DVD titled ''X-Rated''. It is the last album for 15 years to feature Ulrich Wild a ...
'' by
Static-X Static-X is an American industrial metal band from Los Angeles, California, formed in 1994. The line-up has fluctuated over the years, but was long-held constant with band founder, frontman, vocalist and rhythm guitarist Wayne Static until his d ...
were all dedicated to Abbott's memory. Although he never met Abbott, M. Shadows of
Avenged Sevenfold Avenged Sevenfold (abbreviated as A7X) is an American Heavy metal music, heavy metal band from Huntington Beach, California, formed in 1999. The band's current lineup consists of vocalist M. Shadows, rhythm guitarist Zacky Vengeance, lead gui ...
was affected by the death of one of his two "greatest guitar heroes", the other being
Slash Slash may refer to: * Slash (punctuation), the "/" character Arts and entertainment Fictional characters * Slash (Marvel Comics) * Slash (''Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles'') Music * Harry Slash & The Slashtones, an American rock band * Nash th ...
, and the track "Betrayed" on ''
City of Evil ''City of Evil'' is the third studio album by American heavy metal band Avenged Sevenfold, released on June 6, 2005, through Warner Bros. and Hopeless Records. Co-produced by Andrew Murdock, ''City of Evil'' contains a more traditional heavy met ...
'', written from multiple points of view, was Shadows's "way of dealing with the whole thing after it happened".
Machine Head A machine head (also referred to as a tuning machine, tuner, or gear head) is a geared apparatus for tuning stringed musical instruments by adjusting string tension. Machine heads are used on mandolins, guitars, double basses, and others, and ...
, meanwhile, was inspired to write " Aesthetics of Hate" after frontman
Robb Flynn Robert Conrad Flynn (born Lawrence Matthew Cardine; July 19, 1967) is an American musician best known as the lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist for heavy metal band Machine Head and also the only member to feature all Machine Head releases. ...
read an article praising Gale for the murder of "a semi-human barbarian". The song was nominated for
Best Metal Performance The Grammy Award for Best Metal Performance is an award presented at the Grammy Awards to recording artists for works (songs or albums) containing quality performances in the heavy metal music genre. The Grammy Awards is an annual ceremony, where ...
at the
50th Grammy Awards The 50th Annual Grammy Awards took place at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, on February 10, 2008. It honored musical achievement of 2007 in which albums were released between October 1, 2006, through September 30, 2007. The primary ceremonie ...
.


See also

*
List of murdered musicians A list is a set of discrete items of information collected and set forth in some format for utility, entertainment, or other purposes. A list may be memorialized in any number of ways, including existing only in the mind of the list-maker, but ...


Notes


References


Sources

* *


Further reading

*


External links


Remembering Dimebag Darrell: Musicians Honor Pantera Legend
''
Loudwire ''Loudwire'' is an American online media magazine that covers news of hard rock and heavy metal artists. It is owned by media and entertainment business Townsquare Media. Since its launch in August 2011, ''Loudwire'' has secured exclusive i ...
''. December 8, 2014. {{Pantera 2004 in American music 2004 in Ohio 2004 mass shootings in the United States 2004 murders in the United States 21st century in Columbus, Ohio Mass murder in the United States in the 2000s Attacks on nightclubs in the United States Attacks on music venues Deaths by firearm in Ohio December 2004 crimes in the United States Filmed deaths of entertainers Mass murder in 2004 Mass shootings in Ohio Attacks on buildings and structures in 2004 Murder in Ohio Pantera Concert disasters Filmed killings in North America Gun violence in the United States