The incident happened at a show in Columbus, Ohio by Damageplan, a metal band featuring ex-members of Pantera.
Approximately 200 people were in the Alrosa Villa Club when the shooting happened. Local police say that a man climbed onto the stage and shot at the band before turning on the crowd.
One of the band, thought to be guitarist ?Dimebag? Darrell Abbott, was shot upon at first before the assassin targeted the crowd. He is thought to be amongst the dead.
During the incident local police shot the gunman dead.
Police spokesman Brent Mull told the Associated Press that it was lucky the police had been on hand. He said: “If the officer wasn’t as close as he was, I think this would have been a lot worse. It was a chaotic scene, just a horrific scene.”
Police are yet to confirm any of the identities of the victims. It?s possible that more could have been shot, but left the scene of the crime.
One witness at the show said: “I just saw the guitarist fall down, and we decided to get out of there.”
Damageplan features ex-Pantera members ?Dimebag? Darrell Abbott and his brother Vinnie Paul Abbott on drums.
The line-up of the band is completed by Pat Lachman and Bob Zilla on bass.