An Ohio father of four was shot and killed during what was supposed to be a celebratory island getaway with his wife, just days before his 40th birthday.
Robert “Rob” Russell was visiting Put-in-Bay, a popular resort village on Lake Erie, when gunfire erupted inside Mr. Ed’s Bar & Grille shortly after midnight on Thursday, July 23.
Rob and his wife, Lindsay, had arrived on the island only hours earlier to begin a weekend celebrating his upcoming milestone birthday.
First responders found Rob suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. Emergency crews attempted lifesaving measures, but he was pronounced dead at the scene.
Authorities identified the alleged gunman as 21-year-old Colton Smith of Brownstown, Michigan. Smith was arrested and charged with murder and is being held on a cash bond of slightly more than $1 million, according to public records.
Investigators have not publicly disclosed a motive for the shooting.
Ottawa County Prosecutor James VanEerten said Smith and Rob did not know each other before the deadly encounter, making the killing even more difficult for the family to understand.
Rob’s sister, Christi Russell, said her brother had simply gotten up to use the restroom when he was shot.
“There was no altercation,” she told WTOL 11. “He was simply enjoying a night out with his wife.”
Christi said Rob and his family visited Put-in-Bay every summer, making the island a familiar destination that had long been associated with happy family memories.
Lindsay later established a GoFundMe page, describing her husband’s death as a “senseless act of violence.”
She said the shooting happened on the couple’s first night on the island, abruptly turning a birthday celebration into an unimaginable tragedy.
“Rob was so much more than a husband and father,” Lindsay wrote. “He was a constant presence, a source of strength, a comforting hand, a helping hand, a perseverer, a man of unwavering faith, and a father who intentionally led and loved his family and children toward Christ every single day.”
“The void he leaves behind is immeasurable,” she added.
Rob’s death has left his wife and four children grieving a devoted husband and father whose 40th birthday celebration never had the chance to begin.
Smith is scheduled to appear for a preliminary hearing in Ottawa Municipal Court on Friday, July 31.
Robery?? Bring back the death penalty for these murderers. Why pay to feed and cloth these killers. Get rid of them. They will only get out and do it again!