Father of 4 'enjoying a night out with his wife' gunned down in random attack at bar 1 day before 40th birthday, police say

An Ohio father of four was celebrating his 40th birthday at a bar with his wife when prosecutors say a 21-year-old Michigan man walked into the same establishment and fatally shot him in what authorities believe to be a random act of violence.

Colton Zane Smith, of Michigan, is charged with one count of murder along with a firearm specification in the death of Robert "Rob" Russell, 39, court records show.

According to a news release from the Put-in-Bay Police Department, officers and emergency medical personnel responded shortly after midnight on July 23 to Mr. Ed's Bar & Grille on Delaware Avenue regarding a reported shooting.

First responders found a 39-year-old man, later identified as Russell, suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. Medics attempted lifesaving measures, but Russell succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced dead at the scene. No other people were injured.

Police immediately requested assistance from the Ottawa County Major Crimes Unit and the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation, while the Ohio State Highway Patrol provided air support during the search for the suspect. Authorities said Smith was located and taken into custody around 3:40 a.m. and that no other individuals were being sought.

The Ottawa County Prosecutor's Office later confirmed the victim was Robert Russell of Chesterland, Ohio, according to a report from local newspaper The Toledo Blade.

Russell's family told Cleveland ABC affiliate WEWS that he and his wife, Lindsay, had traveled to Put-in-Bay to celebrate his birthday, which would have been the following day. His cousin, Carly Konieczny, said the family has been struggling to understand how the shooting happened.

"I woke up to a text from my mom saying, 'Call me when you wake up,'" Konieczny told WEWS. "It's just still been a lot of processing and trying to pinch yourself and see if it's real."

Konieczny said Russell had no known connection to the alleged shooter and that the shooting appeared to be a random act of violence.

Russell's sister, Christi Russell, told Toledo CBS affiliate WTOL that there was "no altercation" before the shooting.

"He was simply enjoying a night out with his wife," she said.

Family members described Russell as a deeply religious man, a devoted husband and the father of three boys and one girl. Konieczny told WEWS that his faith shaped both his personal life and his work as a handyman.

"He was a guy of really deep faith," she said. "That was central to everything about him, even what he did for his job."

In a statement shared with WTOL, Russell's wife said her husband 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.

Mr. Ed's Bar & Grille closed the day after the shooting and later reopened, calling the killing a "senseless act of violence" in a public statement reported by Pittsburgh CBS affiliate KDKA.

Smith made his initial appearance in Ottawa County Municipal Court on July 23, where a judge set his bond at $1 million. He is scheduled for a preliminary hearing on July 31.

Ottawa County Prosecutor James VanEerten told The Blade that additional charges could follow once the case is presented to a grand jury.

A GoFundMe for Russell's family can be found here.