Father of 4 killed in "tragic" shooting was celebrating 40th birthday with wife, family says
A father of four killed in a shooting in a Put-in-Bay, Ohio, bar was celebrating his 40th birthday with his wife, his family said.
The 39-year-old man from Chesterland was shot multiple times on July 23 at Mr. Ed's Bar and Grille on Delaware Avenue just after midnight, according to the Put-in-Bay Police Department. First responders attempted life-saving measures, but the man, identified as Robert Russell by CBS affiliate WTOL, was pronounced dead at the scene.
Hours later, 21-year-old Colton Smith of Michigan was arrested and charged with murder with a firearm specification, the news outlet reported. Authorities did not release many details about the incident, including a motive or what led up to the shooting, though the two men did not appear to know each other.
"There was no altercation," the victim's sister, Christi Russell, told WTOL. "He was simply enjoying a night out with his wife."
Robert Russell, whose 40th birthday was on July 24, was a father of three boys and one girl. His wife, Lindsay, said he was "much more than a husband and father."
"He was a constant presence, a source of strength, a comforting hand, a helping hand, a perseverer, a man of unwavering faith and a father who intentionally led and loved his family and children toward Christ every single day," she said in a statement to WTOL. "The void he leaves behind is immeasurable."
In a statement on its Facebook page, Mr. Ed's called the shooting "tragic" and "senseless," saying it "has deeply affected all of us." The bar was closed on July 23 to allow people to grieve Russell's death and process what happened. It reopened on July 24.
"Our hearts are with the victim, their loved ones, everyone who witnessed this tragedy, and all those whose lives have been touched by this senseless act of violence," a statement said, in part.
WTOL reported that July 23's shooting was the first homicide in Put-in-Bay since 2011. The investigation into the shooting continues.