Nightclub security guard killed in ‘targeted’ attack while leaving work, Ohio cops say
A man was found dead in a car outside of an Ohio nightclub, according to the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office.
Police did not identify the victim, but Facebook posts from friends and family said the victim was Darnell Pate.
Pate was a security guard at Napoleon’s Bar in Dayton and was leaving work when he was shot, according to WHIO.
“We 100% believe this was a targeted attack,” Montgomery County Sheriff Rob Streck told WHIO.
Deputies say the incident occurred around 3 a.m. on Monday, Jan. 29. Upon arrival, they found gunshot wounds to his body, the release said.
According to county dispatch records obtained by the Dayton Daily News, a man called 911 and told dispatchers he discovered his car with gunshots.
Minutes later, the bar owner reported a person sitting in the parking lot with their lights on, according to the Dayton Daily News. The bar owner called again shortly after because he thought the person wasn’t breathing, the newspaper reported.
“Darnell was resilient, lovable, and beloved by anyone who knew him,” John Dixon, who identified himself as Pate’s cousin, wrote on Facebook.
Pate’s death is under investigation, according to the sheriff’s office.
Pate was the former interim chief of police in New Vienna, according to the Ohio Attorney General’s website. He was fired from the role in 2022 after criminal charges were filed against him stemming for a warrantless arrest, according to WXIX.
“I just want to say thank you for being such an amazing person to me, and I will forever cherish all the memories we created,” Pate’s girlfriend wrote in a Facebook post.
This story was originally published January 31, 2024 at 2:38 PM with the headline "Nightclub security guard killed in ‘targeted’ attack while leaving work, Ohio cops say."
