Costco employee fatally shot after confronting armed man at Ohio store entrance

An Ohio Costco employee was fatally shot outside the store after confronting an armed man with a high-capacity magazine and refusing him entry, police said.

Dig deeper:

Police in Strongsville, Ohio, responded to reports of gunfire outside a Costco on Royalton Road around 5:45 p.m. April 25, where they found 61-year-old Randolph E. Corrigan suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. Officers rendered first aid before he was transported to a hospital, where he later died.

Witnesses told investigators the suspect, 22-year-old Christian M. Bryant of Fort Worth, Texas, was seen walking toward the entrance with "a drum magazine protruding from one of his pockets," according to authorities.

Police said Corrigan approached Bryant and told him he could not enter the store with the weapon.

According to a court document obtained by WJW, Bryant fired one round and then "after a split second pause, fired many more, one after another, with no pause."

A police report said Corrigan was shot multiple times, including in the chest, abdomen and right arm. He was initially conscious and able to answer questions, but his condition quickly deteriorated.

Several bystanders stopped to help Corrigan, with one person applying pressure to his wounds until first responders arrived, the report said.

After his arrest, Bryant told police that "a white man approached me with a knife for no reason" and that "I defended myself." He repeated the claim during a court hearing Monday, saying, "This man approached me with a knife."

Police said Corrigan had a pocket knife at the time of the encounter.

What they're saying:

Bryant faces a murder charge and appeared in Berea Municipal Court on Monday, where Judge Sean Kilbane set his bond at $5 million at the request of Strongsville police Detective Zaki Hazou.

Hazou said Bryant works as a truck driver who was traveling through Ohio and has a prior criminal record, but is not currently on probation or parole.

What's next:

Police said the case is expected to go before a Cuyahoga County grand jury, where additional charges could be considered.

What you can do:

After Corrigan’s death, a GoFundMe campaign was created to help his family with funeral costs, raising more than $40,000 of its $55,000 goal as of Tuesday evening.

"He was selfless and caring…the sole caregiver for my 86-year-old grandmother," the page’s description states. "Aside from taking care of her, 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."

A victim advocate representing Corrigan’s family said they want "justice to be served" and encouraged anyone who witnessed the shooting to come forward.

Representatives for Costco and the Strongsville Police Department did not immediately respond to requests for comment.