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Nightclub Shooter Said Pantera Stole His Lyrics

Vigil Takes Place Outside Nightclub

POSTED: 6:56 am EST December 10, 2004
UPDATED: 2:39 pm EST December 10, 2004

The man who shot and killed metal guitarist "Dimebag" Darrell Abbott in an Ohio nightclub once told a friend that Abbott's former band, Pantera, stole his lyrics.

But police said they may never know why Nathan Gale , 25, shot Abbott, 38, and three other people Wednesday night during a concert. A Columbus police officer shot and killed Gale.

Abbott was a founding member of Pantera, one of the most influential metal bands of the 1990s. He was with the heavy metal band Damageplan at the time of his death.
"Dimebag" Darrell Abbott

Gale's friend, Jeramie Brey, said Gale once showed him pages of lyrics copied from Pantera. But Gale claimed he had written them. Brey said Gale was "off his rocker" and wanted to sue Pantera.

Police haven't verified reports that Gale began his rampage by yelling out accusations that Abbott broke up Pantera.

Tributes Pour In

Candles were still building outside the Columbus nightclub Friday morning at the scene of the shootings.

Friends and family members of those people who were killed, along with fans of Abbott, gathered at the Alrosa Villa to remember the lives cut short.

A vigil took place on Thursday night. Alongside flowers and farewells, there was a boom box and beer bottles in a tribute to Abbott outside the nightclub.

Nathan Gale

Many people at the vigil were not at Wednesday night's Damageplan concert.

Police said Gale jumped on stage and starting shooting at musicians and the crowd as Damageplan opened its set at the Alrosa Villa.

Gale shot four people, took a hostage and had that person in a headlock before he was shot and killed by a Columbus police officer.

Damageplan took the stage at 10:15 p.m., and while the band was playing its first song, Gale walked onto the stage and began firing at Abbott.

Some witnesses claim Gale was yelling something about Abbott breaking up the band, Bowersock reported.

Abbott died of multiple gunshot wounds to the head, according to the Franklin County coroner's office.

Three other people inside the club were shot and killed. Police said they identified one of the shooting victims as Nathan Bray, 23, of Grove City, who was in the audience. Erin Halk, 29, also died. He was working at the Damageplan concert at Alrosa Villa. Jeff Thompson, 40, from Texas, was later identified as the fifth shooting victim.

Two employees of the band remained hospitalized on Friday. Chris Paluska, Damageplan's road manager, was in serious condition at Riverside Methodist Hospital. He was shot in the chest. John Brooks was shot in the leg and was in good condition.

Police said Officer James Niggemeyer, a five-year veteran of the force, was the first at the scene within two minutes of the first call. He went inside and shot Gale, who at that point had a hostage.
Crowds Gather

"The community has a hero," said Columbus police Sgt. Brent Mull.

According to police and eyewitnesses, another police officer from out of town who was at the concert got the gunman's attention. A security guard led Niggemeyer to a side entrance by the stage, by the gunman who was holding the hostage.

Niggemeyer, who was about 20 feet away, fired one shot, which contained nine slugs from his 12-gauge shotgun, and shot Gale in the right side of his head and upper body. The shooting happened within seconds, less than one minute after the officer arrived at the scene.

Gale served in the Marine Corps from February 2002 through November 2003, but did not serve his full term. The USMC would not give the circumstances of his discharge.

Although some in the community said Gale had a quick temper, others said he was a good-natured person.

Mikayla Weitzenecker, who works at Maggie's Restaurant in Marysville, said Gale was in the restaurant this week and said he loved children.

"He always played with the little ones when he was in here," Weitzenecker said. "He was just a real gentle guy. He seemed like a big old teddy bear to me. I never would have thought what made him do that."

Throughout the day, fans of Damageplan and Pantera dropped off flowers, especially yellow roses, at the murder site. But one man used Thursday's memorial for a brash exhibition.

At about 7:45 p.m., hundreds of mourners stood holding candles at the memorial site. While heavy metal music played, a man was spotted running naked through the crowd. Some people cheered, but many did not.

It was a short run as the man was tackled head-over-heels in a parking lot and taken away.

Mourners Call Radio Station

Phones rang off the hook throughout the day at WBZX Radio, a heavy metal station in Columbus.

Dozens of people who attended Wednesday night's show called the station to share their stories about what happened at the nightclub and to discuss Abbott's death.

Musician Joe Dameron plays in a band that opened up for Damageplan in Columbus. He watched as Abbott and others were shot.

Abbott's brother, Vinnie Paul, also formerly of Pantera, was rushed to safety with the Blitz's DJ Scoop.

Fans Try To Make Profit

Dozens of people are apparently hoping to profit on the notoriety brought by Wednesday's shooting.

Newspaper pages, guitar picks, signed posters and T-shirts were put up for sale on eBay after the deaths.

But not all Damageplan fans are lining up to buy the memorabilia. One angry posting called the sales "money-grubbing," and encouraged fans to bid on the items, but not to pay.

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