Left inset: Richard Lindgren (Orangeburg County Jail). Right inset: Benjamin Hawk (GoFundMe). Background: Louie’s Corner House bar in Buckeye Lake, Ohio (Google Maps).
A man singing karaoke at an Ohio bar was shot in the back of his head and killed by his girlfriend’s ex-husband, according to authorities.
The Licking County Sheriff’s Office reports that 59-year-old Richard Lindgren is charged with the murder of Benjamin Hawk, who was 42. According to a press release, deputies were called to Louie’s Corner House in Buckeye Lake just before midnight on July 11 following reports of a shooting. Upon arrival, they discovered Hawk had been fatally shot in the back of the head.
According to a criminal complaint obtained by Law & Crime, Hawk and his girlfriend were singing karaoke on the outdoor patio when Lindgren allegedly walked up behind Hawk, drew a small handgun, and shot him in the head. Several patrons witnessed the incident, contacted 911, and pursued Lindgren, the affidavit reveals.
Lindgren hopped in his vehicle and drove off. Police issued a nationwide be-on-the-lookout for Lindgren and his car. Cops some 550 miles away in Orangeburg, South Carolina, spotted Lindgren on traffic cameras July 12. They pulled him over and took him in custody. He is awaiting extradition back to Ohio.
The bar’s owner, Debbie Williamson, told The Columbus Dispatch she was sitting in the beer garden at the establishment when she heard a loud noise. At first she thought it was a firecracker but then saw patrons chasing Lindgren and realized it was a gunshot.
Hawk “got like three words out” of the song he was singing when he was shot, according to Williamson. Nothing like this has happened before at the bar that has been in her family for a half century.
“It was very traumatizing,” she told the Dispatch.
Those who knew Hawk are remembering him fondly. His brother wrote in a GoFundMe post that Hawk leaves behind two children. He also was known as a talented karaoke performer.
“My brother was loved by many and never met a stranger; he had the ability to converse with any and everyone,” the post said. “He always looked out for those around him and would give his very last to someone in need, even if it meant he had to go without.”
