On Dec. 8, 2004, Nathan Gale of Marysville walked on the stage at the Alrosa Villa nightclub at 5055 Sinclair Road during a heavy metal concert and fatally shot five people and wounded three others.

It is nearly two months later, and approximately six miles southwest of the Alrosa Villa, the killing spree has had seemingly little effect among venues surrounding Ohio State campus.

Alex Ma, who works security at Skully’s diner at 1151 N. High St., believes that such a tragedy is practically uncontrollable.

“It’s something you can’t prepare for, just an insane person,” said Ma who graduated from OSU in the summer of 2002 with degrees in English and history.

“Relatives and roommates of people who got shot were coming in and drowning their sorrows,” said Chris Minor who also works as security at Skully’s.

But in terms of adjustments made to hinder violence, Minor said Skully’s has not really changed anything.

Minor said that Skully’s averages about three concerts a week. They also have “Ladies 80s” night on Thursdays, which is probably the night that requires the most security.

During a show there will normally be two people at the door and two people walking around the floor.

Skully’s also relies on a wall that features photos of people who are banned from the bar as well as a “pretty good camera system” to keep out and monitor troublemakers, Minor said.

“We draw a pretty good crowd,” he said. “It’s just people that grew up in a big city that like rock music.”

Ralena Allaby has worked as a bartender at the Ravari Room since it opened last March. Allaby said that the crowd that the Ravari Room attracts from around campus is typically non-violent and diverse.

“From mohawks to…Abercrombie, to old people,” she said. “Worst thing that ever happened, some girl threw a drink on some guy.”

The Ravari Room, which is an attachment of Hound Dog’s Pizza located at 2657 N. High St., holds about 200 people and hosts live rock bands on Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday but weekends are when the venue employs the most security.

“We have two guys sitting at each door. We have a floor guy who paces the floor,” said Allaby.

Allaby said that since she has been working there have been two acts of violence around the vicinity but never inside and never during business hours.

“I feel safe at work, I don’t feel like I have to worry about anything,” she said.

Across the street from the Ravari Room and slightly south is Oldfield’s where Brent Adams has been a bartender off and on for about 10 years.

Adams, a Hilliard native, has attended shows at the Alrosa Villa in the past.

“I’ve never been to a show out there that I thought was too dicey,” he said. “Down there it’s more just street, young suburban kids.”

Oldfield’s, at 2590 N. High St., has live shows seven nights per week ranging from rock to hip-hop. Many of the acts are local groups from around the campus area.

Like Minor and Allaby, Adams said that the usual crowd in Oldfield’s tends to be passive.

“Maybe a shoving match will break out,” he said. “Nothing too bad. We’re usually on it pretty quick.”

During a show, Oldfield’s typically has one person watching the door and about three to four bartenders who keep an eye on things.

Like the Ravari Room, Oldfield’s has a capacity of 200.

But what aspect of a venue is conducive to violence?

“I would say less capacity than layout,” said Adams. “By having a more open layout you can avoid a lot of trouble.”

Neither seemed to matter that December night when Gale simply walked onto the stage during the heavy metal band Damageplan’s concert and shot “Dimebag” Darrell Abbott in the back of the head and continued firing before being shot to death by a Columbus Police officer.

Now Alrosa Villa stands a drab island in the middle of an empty, snow covered lot. Written tributes praising and thanking Abbott for his long and successful career adorn the front of the building.

Alrosa Villa has a capacity of 700, more than three times as much as the Ravari Room and Oldfield’s.

The High Five, located at 1227 N. High St., has a capacity of 250.

Demetrius Goosbey, who has been working as a security guard there since it came under new ownership in May, said the vicinity around High Five is definitely not violent.

Goosbey, like Ma, feels that such a high degree of violence is difficult to prevent.

“If someone wants to bring a gun into a club they’re going to do it,” said Goosbey.

The shows at The High Five range from hip-hop to rock to metal and the venue attracts an equally diverse crowd.

“It’s a really nice mix of people,” Goosbey said.