A “selfless and caring” Costco employee, who was his elderly mother’s sole caregiver, was killed in a senseless shooting after he tried to stop a gun-carrying shopper from entering the Ohio big-box store on Saturday, new court records show.
Randy Corrigan, 61, was working at the Strongville, Ohio Costco last Saturday when witnesses say he told a man walking up to the entrance with a “drum magazine protruding from one of his pockets” that he could not enter the store with a gun, according to court documents obtained by FOX 8.
The suspect — identified as 22-year-old Christian M. Bryant — then took out a semi-automatic handgun with the drum magazine and fired a first round at Corrigan shortly before 5:45 p.m., according to the docs.
“After a split-second pause, [Bryant] fired many more [shots], one after another, with no pause,” the court records said.
Corrigan was struck multiple times, including in the chest, abdomen and right arm, according to the docs.
Several good Samaritans stopped to provide aid, including one who kept pressure on his wounds, according to a police report.
Cops rushed to the Costco following the gunfire and found Corrigan breathing and conscious enough to answer questions at the scene — however, “[it] was apparent his alertness was beginning to decline,” the report said.
Despite life-saving efforts, the 61-year-old worker later died from his injuries, according to the outlet.
The Costco employee was remembered as an “amazing, funny, and generous man who completely turned his life around after some trouble in his younger days,” according to an online fundraiser.
Corrigan was described as “selfless and caring” and was the sole caregiver for his 86-year-old mother, according to his niece, Holly Marie.
“Aside from taking care of [his mother], he LOVED going to work at Costco, always talking about his coworkers. He would joke, laugh, and pass around sweet treats to everyone around him, making every day brighter for those he met,” she wrote on the GoFundMe page.
When he was apprehended, Bryant told police “a white man approached me with a knife for no reason” and “I defended myself,” according to the court docs.
Police noted that Corrigan did brandish a pocket knife after the gunman took out his weapon, prior to being fatally gunned down.
During his arraignment via video call on Monday, Bryant told the court, “this man approached me with a knife,” but was advised by Judge Sean Kilbane to refrain from making any further statements until he conferred with his attorney, FOX 8 reported.
Strongville police detective Zaki Hazou told the court that Bryant is a truck driver who was passing through Ohio at the time of the shooting. He recommended a $5 million bond be set.
Bryant lives in Fort Worth, Texas and has a prior criminal record but is not under probation or parole at the moment, Hazou said.
A victim’s advocate speaking on behalf of Corrigan’s family Monday said that his relatives want “justice to be served.”
Bryant may face additional charges after his case goes before a grand jury.
He was held on a $5 million bond.
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