According to Columbus Business First, the Alrosa Villa nightclub in Columbus, Ohio, where PANTERA and DAMAGEPLAN guitarist "Dimebag" Darrell Abbott was murdered more than 15 years ago, could be turned into affordable apartments. Plans are afoot to build a $38 million, 180-unit complex on the site where Dimebag and three other people were killed by a 25-year-old ex-Marine named Nathan Gale. Although Cleveland-based developer NRP Group was granted a zoning variance from the city of Columbus to support the proposed housing development, the project must still gain tax credit financing from the Ohio Housing Finance Agency before it can proceed. Last December, Alrosa Villa was listed for sale for $1,295,000. On the night of December 8, 2004, Gale charged onstage at the packed nightclub and opened fire on the band and crowd, before being killed himself by police officer James D. Niggemeyer, who arrived on the scene minutes after Gale began his rampage. According to The Pulse Of Radio, Gale seemed to deliberately target Abbott, leading to speculation that the young man, who had a history of mental illness, held a grudge against Abbott and his brother, drummer Vinnie Paul, for the break-up of PANTERA in 2002. Columbus police closed their investigation in October of 2005 without establishing a motive for the shootings. Dimebag's death was a devastating blow to the close-knit hard rock and metal community. He was known to his fellow musicians for his hospitality, friendship and partying spirit, and was a legend among fans and peers for his powerful, innovative and unmistakable playing style. Vinnie Paul sued Alrosa Villa over his brother's death. The lawsuit was settled out of court in 2007 for what was described at the time as a nominal amount. "What happened here on Dec. 8, 2004, was a tragedy for everyone and our hearts go out to the victims and their families," Alrosa Villa manager Rick Cautela said in a statement issued after Vinnie Paul's lawsuit was dismissed. "There is nothing we could have done to stop it." According to The Columbus Dispatch, the lawsuit said the Cautela family, which owns and operates Alrosa Villa, was negligent in not stopping Gale from entering the club with a gun and ammunition. Gale jumped a fence surrounding a patio outside the club as DAMAGEPLAN began playing its first song. He then walked through the crowd and entered the stage from behind a stack of amplifiers. He pulled a handgun and shot Abbott in the head, then turned the gun on those who tried to intervene. DAMAGEPLAN crew member Jeffrey Thompson, club security guard Erin Halk and audience member Nathan Bray also were killed. Band manager Christopher Paluska and band technician John Brooks were wounded. The carnage ended when Niggemeyer entered the club through a rear door and fatally shot Gale as Gale held a gun to Brooks's head. Vinnie Paul died in June 2018 at the age of 54 in his sleep at his home in Las Vegas. The official cause of death was dilated cardiomyopathy, an enlarged heart, as well as severe coronary artery disease. He was buried next to his brother and their mother, Carolyn, at Moore Memorial Gardens cemetery in Arlington, Texas.
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