Former Pantera drummer Vinnie Paul says he was “floored” by the recent killing of US talent show star Christina Grimmie.
The Voice singer, 22, was shot while signing autographs after a performance in St Petersburg, Orlando, Florida, earlier this month. She was attacked by 26-year-old Kevin James Loibl who then took his own life following a struggle with Grimmie’s brother.
Following the incident, Pantera’s Facebook page issued a statement saying Grimmie’s death brought back memories of the 2004 shooting of guitarist Dimebag Darrell while onstage with his band Damageplan.
And when asked about the recent shooting by radio station KBAT, Paul says: “It just floored me, man. I never thought it would happen again. And that’s really almost the same scenario that happened to my brother.
“It’s just unbelievable that there’s still people that are that fanatical and that crazy out there in today’s world that we don’t have enough security to keep that from happening.”
“It’s a dangerous world, man. You’ve got to keep your eyes and ears peeled and be on the alert all the time.”
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Pantera’s Facebook post also called on the music industry, club owners and promoters to “do whatever they needed to do to protect artists from gun wielding fanatics.”
They also payed tribute to Grimmie, Dimebag and the three other people killed at the Alrosa Villa in Columbus, Ohio, on the night Darrell was murdered – Jeff Thompson, Erin Halk and Nathan Bray.
Dimebag can be heard on Hellyeah’s recently released fifth album Undeniable. He appears on their cover of Phil Collins track I Don’t Care Anymore.
