Alrosa Villa Tragedy - 5 Years Ago Today

• SnotBubbles

  Just saw a buddy post this on Facebook and couldn't believe it has been 5 years already. On December 8, 2004, Dimebag Darrell was shot and killed onstage during a Damageplan performance at the Alrosa Villa in Columbus.
  
  My buddies band "Syntheory" was scheduled to play this show but the lead singer became ill and they didn't perform. At that time, my wife and I followed them to all of their "large" shows and we would have been there.
  
  From Wikipedia.com, regarding the incident:
  
  Nathan Gale of Marysville (formerly from my current county) shot Dimebag five times, including once in the head, killing him instantly. Damageplan's drum technician, John "Kat" Brooks, and tour manager, Chris Paluska, were injured. Gale fired a total of fifteen shots, taking the time to reload once and remaining silent throughout the shooting. To avoid being injured or killed himself, Abbott's brother and bandmate, Vinnie Paul, was taken to the bar/kitchen on the other side of the club. Jeff "Mayhem" Thompson, the band's head of security, was also killed in the incident while engaging in hand-to-hand combat with Gale. Alrosa Villa employee Erin Halk was killed after charging Gale after he had run out of bullets, expecting him to reload more slowly than he actually did. Audience member Nathan Bray was killed while trying to perform CPR on Dimebag and Mayhem.
  
  Brooks scuffled with Gale onstage but was overpowered and taken hostage in a headlock position. Brooks was shot several times (once in the right hand, his right leg, and his right side) while attempting to get the gun away from him. Five police officers came in the front entrance, led by Officer Rick Crum, and moved toward the stage. Officer James D. Niggemeyer came in through the back door, behind the stage. Gale only saw the officers in front of the stage; he never saw Officer Niggemeyer. Niggemeyer armed with a 12 gauge Remington 870 shotgun approached Gale from the opposite side of the stage, to avoid hitting the hostage Niggemeyer fired a single shot, striking him in the face. Gale was found to have 35 rounds of ammunition remaining. Nurse and audience member Mindy Reece, 28, went to the aid of Abbott. She and another fan administered CPR until paramedics arrived, but were unable to revive him.
• Upper90

  I was there really briefly on Sunday for a friend's show. It doesn't seem like it's been that long, crazy.
• Soda Popinski

  Hard to believe that was 5 years ago.
• osudarby08

  

  Listening to Pantera as we speak...RIP Dimebag
• Scarlet_Fever

  

  My neighbor at the time was at the show standing right next to the officer as he shot the guy who shot Dimebag.
• darbypitcher22

  

  5 years ago? really?
• j_crazy

  

  Sad story. I might pick up the book on this Gale.
• hang_loose

  From what I remember, Nathan Gale was a pretty big guy. Besides that 12 guage, it might of taken 2 or 3 people to take him down.
  
  RIP Dimebag!
• mtrulz

  He was an awesome guitarist.
• visionquest

  RIP Dimebag! Had so much more to offer us in his playing, but was cut short before we could hear it. Bummer...and you know that Pantera would have eventually put aside their differences and gotten back together. I love Dimebag but Damageplan blew chunks. Pantera STILL rules however.
• pmoney25

  

  I love Pantera. Fuckin Hostile!!!!! Probably my fav Pantera song. RIP DIMEBAG
• GoChiefs

  

  Scarlet_Fever wrote: My neighbor at the time was at the show standing right next to the officer as he shot the guy who shot Dimebag.

  And your neighbor was on stage why? RIP Dimebag.
• thedynasty1998

  

  I knew one of the security guards who was also on stage. On the footage from that night you can see him pretty clearly.
• Mooney44Cards

  

  Have I been living under a rock that I never knew this happened?
• Fab4Runner

  

  ^ Yes.
• DESCENTdmc

  im gonna sound like a huge douchebag, but i was mostly pissed about this happening because it cause a show i was goin to see there later that months to be cancelled. Hatebreed/Sick Of It All and like 3 other good hardcore bands, it was pretty much hatebreeds last good tour since all the ones since then have been shit tours with metal bands.
  
  it sucks that people lost their lives though
• Society

  darbypitcher22 wrote: 5 years ago? really?

  Yes.
  
  From the OP:

  Just saw a buddy post this on Facebook and couldn't believe it has been 5 years already. On December 8, 2004, Dimebag Darrell was shot and killed onstage during a Damageplan performance at the Alrosa Villa in Columbus.

• zambrown

  

  Wow, I didn't realize it had been this long ago either. What a tragedy.