Dimebag Darrell

On December 8, 2004, "Dimebag" Darrell Abbott was shot and killed by a deranged fan at age 38.

What Happened?
On December 8, 2004, Damageplan was performing at the Alrosa Villa nightclub in Columbus, Ohio. As the band played the first song of its setlist, Nathan Gale, a deranged 25-year-old fan, rushed onto the stage and shot Abbott multiple times with a Beretta M9. The band's head of security, Jeffrey "Mayhem" Thompson, then tackled Gale, but was fatally shot in the ensuing struggle. A fan, Nathan Bray, was also murdered as he attempted to aid Abbott and Thompson, as was Erin Halk, an employee of the venue who tried to disarm Gale. Three others were wounded before police officer James Niggemeyer entered the club and shot Gale once in the head with a Remington Model 870, killing him. Abbott was pronounced dead at the scene, aged 38.

Aftermath
Thousands of fans attended his public memorial, and the guest list included artists such as Eddie Van Halen, Zakk Wylde, Corey Taylor, Jerry Cantrell and Dino Cazares. Abbott was buried alongside his mother Carolyn at the Moore Memorial Gardens cemetery in Arlington, Texas. Gene Simmons donated a Kiss Kasket for the burial, and Eddie Van Halen donated his original black-and-yellow-striped 1979 Charvel "Bumblebee" guitar, which was featured on the back cover of Van Halen II, to be included in the casket. A few weeks prior to his death, Abbott had met Van Halen and asked him for a replica of the Bumblebee. Van Halen said at the funeral: "Dime was an original and only an original deserves the original."