An Ohio Costco employee was fatally shot after he reportedly refused to let the gunman enter the store while armed.
The incident took place at a Costco located at 16690 Royalton Road in Strongsville, Ohio, on April 25 at approximately 5:45 p.m. local time, Cleveland.com reported, citing police.
Strongsville Police identified the victim as Randolph “Randy” E. Corrigan, a Cleveland resident, in a statement shared on social media, confirming he worked for Costco. He was 61.
Authorities arrested Christian M. Bryant of Fort Worth, Texas, in connection with the shooting. Bryant, 22, was arraigned in Berea Municipal Court on Monday, April 27, at 10:30 a.m., according to Strongsville Police.
“Bryant will be arraigned on the charge of murder, an unclassified felony, in violation of section 2903.02 (A) of the Ohio revised code,” Strongsville P.D. stated. “The case will be presented to the grand jury at a later date and additional charges may be added at that time.”
Judge Sean Kilbane set Bryant’s bond at $5 million following a recommendation from police, according to local outlet WJW.
Corrigan suffered multiple gunshot wounds to the chest, arm, and abdomen, WJW reported, citing court documents from the arraignment. According to the documents obtained by WJW, Bryant allegedly entered the store with a “drum magazine protruding from one of his pockets.” When a Costco employee approached him and reportedly told him he could not enter the store while armed, he then quickly pulled out a semi-automatic handgun and shot Corrigan.
According to documents obtained by WJW, Corrigan did approach the armed suspect with a pocketknife before the shooting. Bryant later allegedly told police that “a man approached me with a knife for no reason” and “I defended myself,” according to the court documents.
Strongsville Police confirmed that the case remains under investigation at this time.
A GoFundMe has been launched for Corrigan to help cover funeral expenses for his family and to secure a long-term care solution for the 86-year-old woman he was the primary caregiver for.
“Randy was an amazing, funny, and generous man who completely turned his life around after some trouble in his younger days,” the GoFundMe description reads. “He was selfless and caring…the sole caregiver for my 86-year-old grandmother.”
The GoFundMe notes that he “loved” working at Costco and spending his days with his coworkers. “He would joke, laugh, and pass around sweet treats to everyone around him, making every day brighter for those he met,” the description reads.
“He loved all things Jeep, Irish, and never passed up an opportunity for a new tattoo!” the description adds about the late Corrigan. “These passions brought him joy and made him unforgettable to everyone who knew him.”
His family shared in the description that his remains will be scattered in Corona Del Mar, Calif., “as he wished.” As of publication, the fundraiser has raised nearly $30,000 of its $40,000 goal.
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