Randolph Corrigan, 61, died after prosecutors say he tried to stop an armed man from reaching the store entrance.
STRONGSVILLE, Ohio — Randolph E. Corrigan was on break outside a Costco when prosecutors say he saw a man with a gun heading toward the entrance and stepped in, moments before a shooting that killed him.
Corrigan, 61, of Cleveland, has become the center of a murder case that has shaken workers and shoppers at the Strongsville store. Christian M. Bryant, 22, of Fort Worth, Texas, pleaded not guilty Monday in Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court to two counts of murder and two counts of felonious assault. Prosecutors say Bryant shot Corrigan outside the Costco on Royalton Road after Corrigan tried to stop him from moving closer to the front doors.
Family members and supporters have described Corrigan as a caring man who worked at the store and helped care for an elderly relative at home. A fundraising page set up after his death said money would help with funeral costs and support a long-term care plan for his grandmother. In court, a victim advocate said Corrigan’s family wanted “justice to be served” and asked witnesses to speak with police. Their request came as investigators continued building a case from witness accounts, police reports and physical evidence recovered outside the store.
The shooting happened around the dinner hour on April 25, when the store area was still active with weekend shoppers. Strongsville police said officers were called at about 5:43 p.m. for a report of gunfire. When they arrived, several people were already kneeling beside Corrigan and trying to stop his bleeding. Police reported that one bystander wearing work gloves pressed on Corrigan’s chest. Officers then applied chest seals and a tourniquet before paramedics took him to MetroHealth Medical Center. Corrigan later died at the hospital.
Authorities say the confrontation began when Bryant parked a commercial truck outside the warehouse store, got out and walked toward the entrance with a firearm that had a 50-round drum magazine hanging from his shorts pocket. Corrigan, who was near his vehicle while on break, saw Bryant and followed him toward the entrance, prosecutors said. Officials have not said how close Bryant was to the doors when Corrigan reached him. They also have not said whether other employees saw the firearm before the shooting began.
Cuyahoga County Prosecutor Michael C. O’Malley praised Corrigan’s actions after the indictment was announced. “Randolph Corrigan died trying to protect customers at the Strongsville Costco from an armed gunman,” O’Malley said. “He was truly a hero.” The statement framed Corrigan’s final moments as an effort to keep danger away from the store. Bryant’s attorneys offered a sharply different view, saying Bryant acted in self-defense after Corrigan approached him with a knife. Police said a knife was found near Corrigan after the shooting.
That dispute now sits at the center of the criminal case. Police said Bryant repeatedly told officers that Corrigan had a knife, and he made a similar statement during an early court hearing. Prosecutors have said Bryant shot Corrigan multiple times, then moved closer and shot him again after Corrigan fell. The defense has said Bryant’s actions before and after the shooting did not show that he intended to harm anyone. The court has not yet tested those claims before a jury, and Bryant is presumed innocent unless convicted.
The loss has also turned a busy retail parking area into a place of public grief. News footage and witness accounts described evidence markers near the entrance and police tape outside the building after the shooting. Shoppers who returned the next day said they were stunned that violence had reached a store they used for routine errands. One shopper, Heidi Tsakalos, said she could not imagine the incident happening in Strongsville and worried about how employees were doing. Another shopper, Peggy Woznuk, called the moment frightening and said the violence felt close to home.
For Corrigan’s family, the case is not only about what happened in the parking lot but also about what was lost after it. Reports from family supporters described him as a steady presence for relatives and a familiar face to coworkers. His death left immediate practical needs, including funeral arrangements and care questions for a family member who had depended on him. Those details have widened the impact of the shooting beyond the criminal docket and into the daily lives of people who knew him.
The case has advanced quickly since the first call to police. Bryant was arrested at the scene, where officers said they found and secured a firearm. He first appeared in Berea Municipal Court, where bond was set at $5 million. Prosecutors later presented the case to a Cuyahoga County grand jury, which returned the four-count indictment on May 11. At his May 18 arraignment in Cleveland, Bryant pleaded not guilty, and the judge continued the same bond amount. A pretrial hearing was set for May 20.
Investigators have asked any witnesses who were at the store and did not speak with an officer to contact the Strongsville Police Department’s detective bureau. Their appeal leaves open the possibility that more statements, video or other evidence may be added to the case before trial. No trial date has been publicly reported, and officials have not said when all evidence will be turned over to the defense.
Bryant remains jailed on the $5 million bond while the case proceeds in Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court. Corrigan’s family, coworkers and shoppers are now waiting for the next hearing to show how prosecutors and defense attorneys will frame the seconds that ended his life.
Author note: Last updated Wednesday, May 20, 2026.