A man in Ohio is accused of fatally shooting his ex-wife’s boyfriend while the victim was singing karaoke at a local bar, authorities say.
Benjamin Hawk, 42, was killed on the night of Friday, July 11, while performing “One More Light” by Linkin Park at a bar in Buckeye Lake, according to the Licking County Sheriff’s Office.
Sheriff’s officials identified 59-year-old Richard Lindgren, the ex-husband of Hawk’s girlfriend, as the suspect. He was arrested the following day in South Carolina, the sheriff announced.
Friends of Hawk confirmed to ABC 6 that he had been dating Lindgren’s ex-wife, and that the couple had arrived at the bar about an hour before Lindgren showed up.
DJ Robert Humble, who was working that night, said the bar had previously seen tensions from Lindgren.
“I sometimes saw Lindgren blurt out hateful words to his ex when she would get up to sing,” Humble told ABC 6. “He would call her names and bash her character. I recently had a talk with him two weeks prior and told him if he was going to act like that, he was not welcome.”
Witnesses told the outlet there was no visible confrontation between Hawk and Lindgren prior to the shooting. Authorities have not released details about a motive.
Hawk, known in the Ohio karaoke circuit, was remembered as a passionate and welcoming presence in the community.
“He was using [karaoke] as a way to share his emotions with everybody else,” his brother, David Hawk, told The Columbus Dispatch.
The IKF Karaoke Cup Ohio, part of a national karaoke competition network, paid tribute to Hawk on social media, calling him “a larger-than-life presence with the voice of an angel,” adding, “He never met a stranger — just people that didn’t know they were friends yet.”
David Hawk has launched a GoFundMe to help cover funeral expenses and support Ben’s two daughters.
“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,” David wrote in the campaign.
Lindgren is currently awaiting extradition to Ohio. It remains unclear whether he has been formally charged or retained legal counsel.
