Ohio Costco worker shot to death by customer for telling him not to enter store with gun

A Costco employee was killed Saturday evening in Strongsville, Ohio, after police say he confronted a customer who attempted to enter the store with a visible firearm.

The incident unfolded at the store entrance at 5:45 pm. Witnesses told investigators the employee, 61-year-old Randy Corrigan, told a man he could not enter the building while carrying a gun with a drum magazine partially visible from his pocket, according to court records obtained by FOX 8.

Authorities identified the suspect as 22-year-old Christian M. Bryant, a truck driver from Fort Worth, Texas. Police say Bryant then drew a semi-automatic handgun and opened fire on Corrigan. “After a split-second pause, [Bryant] fired many more [shots], one after another, with no pause,” court records said.

Corrigan was struck multiple times in the chest, abdomen, and arm. He was still conscious when officers arrived and was able to speak briefly with responders, though police said his condition quickly deteriorated. Emergency personnel and bystanders provided aid at the scene, including applying pressure to his wounds, according to a police report. Despite those efforts, Corrigan died from his injuries.

Police say Corrigan briefly displayed a pocket knife after the gun was drawn, before he was shot.

Bryant was taken into custody following the shooting. During his arraignment held via video call on Monday, he said, “this man approached me with a knife,” according to FOX 8. A judge instructed him not to make further statements until consulting with an attorney.

Authorities say Bryant also told officers at the scene that “a white man approached me with a knife for no reason” and that “I defended myself,” according to court documents.

Detectives said Bryant was traveling through Ohio at the time of the incident and has a prior criminal record, though he is not currently on probation or parole. He is being held on a $5 million bond.

Corrigan was remembered by family members as a longtime employee who worked at Costco and was the primary caregiver for his 86-year-old mother. His niece called him “selfless and caring” and described him 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.

“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,” his niece wrote.