Alrosa owner Rick Cautela was tending bar when he heard the shots during the band's opening song, "New Found Power". He thought they were firecrackers. "I heard the music stop and heard more pops. I figured the band had stopped and was going to start again when they grabbed whoever had the firecrackers," he said of security workers. "I just kept waiting on customers." But then audience members ran toward the exits.

The panic and confusion can be heard in 10 calls made to 911 operators, beginning at 10:18 p.m., seconds after the first shots were fired. "I'm at the Alrosa Villa and there's a shooting. Someone is shooting the band on the stage," said a female caller. "They're still shooting. The person is still loose with the gun."

Kozicki said he took cover in the sound booth and dialed 911 as soon as Darrell Abbott slumped to the floor. He remained on the line with an operator for five minutes, offering details about the chaos and the gunman's actions.

A little more than three minutes after his call to 911 began, he told the operator that police had killed the gunman. Kozicki, a student at Bowling Green State University, called the officer's action "100 percent in the right." "If he hadn't done it, more people probably would have been killed," he said yesterday.

Niggemeyer had just begun his shift at the 18 th precinct, at Karl and Morse roads — about 2 miles from Alrosa — when the report of a shooting came in. When he arrived at the club about two minutes later, security workers pointed him to the back door.

At least five other officers came through another door of the club seconds after Niggemeyer fired. Ultimately, about 60 detectives were at the club, many working overtime. They interviewed about 250 witnesses, putting them on three buses provided by COTA.

This is the first time the 31-year-old Niggemeyer, who joined the force in 1999, has shot a suspect. He has a clean record, with many compliments from citizens, said Sgt. Brent Mull, a police spokesman. The division would not release his personnel file yesterday. [Columbus Dispatch - subscription required]

MTV2's "Headbanger's Ball" will be hosted tonight (10pm ET) by MEGADETH's Dave Mustaine. In addition to commentary by Mustaine and regular host Jamey Jasta (HATEBREED), the program will feature some of Dimebag Darrell's friends calling in, reactions from fans and bands, plus the latest news on the Columbus tragedy and some DAMAGEPLAN and PANTERA videos.

Comprehensive coverage of the shootings and aftermath here.