A 22-year-old Black truck driver from Fort Worth, Texas, passing through Strongsville, Ohio, fatally shot a Costco employee, claiming he did so in self-defense after the employee pulled a knife on him as he approached the store entrance. Witnesses told police that Christian M. Bryant was carrying a semi-automatic handgun with a visible drum ammunition magazine “protruding from one of his pockets.” After Costco employee Randolph Corrigan, 61, told him he could not enter the store with the gun, and then pulled out a pocket knife, police said Bryant shot him once, paused for a “split-second,” then stood over Corrigan as he lay on the ground and unloaded a hail of bullets into him. Christian M. Bryant (right) is charged with the murder of Randolph Corrigan (left) after a clash in front of a Costco in Strongsville, Ohio on April 25, 2026. (Photos: Strongsville Police Department, Randy Corrigan Family GoFundMe) Publicly released police accounts of the incident, which occurred at 5:43 p.m. on Saturday, April 25, shed little more light on what transpired between the two men. Strongville Police Detective Zaki Hazou’s probable cause affidavit for arresting Bryant says witnesses reported that Bryant “brandished” a .40 caliber Springfield XD-40 semi-automatic handgun with a drum magazine while Corrigan “contemporaneously brandished a pocket knife.” Corrigan, who was shot seven or eight times, including in the chest, abdomen and right arm, was treated by onlookers who put pressure on his wounds, and then by emergency medics. He was initially breathing, conscious and able to answer questions, but his alertness soon waned, police said. He was taken to a local hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries. ‘I’ll Destroy Everything!’:Texas Mother Punishes Child For Abusing Cat By Destroying His Toys, But Critics Say the Real Problem Isn’t Fixed Police found 13 fired .40 caliber shell casings, along with the handgun, noting that the drum had 37 rounds loaded into the magazine and one round in the chamber. While being taken into custody, Bryant, who remained on scene when police arrived, repeatedly said, “a white man approached me with a knife for no reason” and “I defended myself,” according to the police affidavit. Ohio is an open carry state, but private businesses such as Costco can and do prohibit customers from carrying firearms into their stores. Only law enforcement officers are allowed to do so per Costco’s policy nationwide. Bryant was charged with felony murder and given a stiff $5 million cash bond at his video arraignment in Berea Municipal Court on Monday. Police said in a statement that additional charges may be added as the investigation continues. Detective Hazou told the court that Bryant is a truck driver who was passing through Ohio and poses a flight risk when asking for the high bond. He also said Bryant is a high school graduate with a prior criminal record. A post on the Busted News site indicates that Bryant was arrested for unlawful carrying of a weapon, a misdemeanor, in Van Zandt County, Texas, on October 12. Atlanta Black Star has been working on independently confirming this. Bryant’s public defender, Mark DeFranco, told Judge Sean Kilbane his client is not currently under probationary supervision or parole, waived his right to a preliminary hearing, and did not enter a plea on Bryant’s behalf. A seemingly frustrated Bryant blurted out from a jail hearing room, “This man approached me with a knife.” Kilbane told Bryant to refrain from making any more statements without consulting his attorney. A victim’s advocate speaking on behalf of Corrigan’s family said his relatives wish for “justice to be served,” and for anyone who witnessed the shooting to come forward and make a statement to police, Fox 8 reported.The judge then bound the case over to the Cuyahoga County Court of Common Pleas, where a grand jury must be presented with the case and decide whether to indict him within 30 days, according to court rules. The Corrigan family has posted a GoFundMe campaign to raise $55,000 to pay for Randolph “Randy” Corrigan’s funeral expenses and to help support his 86-year-old mother, for whom he was the sole caregiver prior to his death. Noting “We do not have much information about the shooting as it is still an ongoing investigation, his niece, Holly Marie Corrigan, wrote that “Randy was an amazing, funny, and generous man who completely turned his life around after some trouble in his younger days. He was selfless and caring, and 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.” So far, the campaign has raised more than $54,000. DeFranco did not immediately return a request for comment from Atlanta Black Star seeking more information about Bryant’s account of the incident and a likely plea. White Man Pulled a Knife on a Black Truck Driver Just Trying to Shop — Now He’s Sitting in Jail on a $5 Million Bond for Surviving ...read more read less