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On December 8, 2004, while performing with Damageplan at the Alrosa Villa in Columbus, Ohio, Abbott was shot onstage by an outraged Pantera fan named Nathan Gale. Abbott was shot five times, including once in the 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 running out of bullets, expecting Gale to reload slower than he actually did. Audience member Nathan Bray was killed while trying to perform CPR on Dimebag and Mayhem. Five police officers came in the front entrance led by officer Rick Crum, and moved toward the stage as Gale used Brooks as a human shield. 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. When Brooks moved his head into a position that opened a clear line-of-sight, Officer Niggemeyer killed Gale by shooting him in the face with a police-issued 12 gauge Remington 870 shotgun. 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. The gun Gale used, a 9 mm semiautomatic handgun, had been given to him by his mother because she was "proud of his military service."

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16y ago

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