Curiosity
Movie Theater Shooting: Retired Cop Kills Man For Texting During Movie

[caption id="attachment_77836" align="aligncenter" width="534"] Emergency vehicles respond to a shooting at a Wesley Chapel, Fla., cinema that left two people injured. A suspected shooter has been taken into custody.
(Photo: WTSP.com)[/caption]
A retired cop, irked that the couple in front of him were texting at a Mark Wahlberg war movie, opened fire in a Florida theater Monday, killing the man and wounding his wife, authorities said.
Curtis Reeves Jr., 71, was charged with second-degree homicide in the death of Chad Oulson, 43, Pasco County Sheriff Chris Nocco said late Monday afternoon. Oulson, who was shot in the chest, and his wife, Nichole, who was shot in the hand, were rushed to local hospitals. Chad Oulson was pronounced dead, and his wife was treated for non-life-threatening injuries.
The theater was evacuated and remained closed after the shooting, which occurred about 1:20 p.m. ET.
Wesley Chapel/Tampa Bay, Florida - It started out simple enough. A man and his wife took in the 1:20PM matinee showing of the box office hit "Lone Stranger" at the Cobb Grove 16 Theater. Sitting in front of them was another man and woman who were chatting away and texting. The man being annoyed by their behavior confronted them about it and an argument ensued. It is a situation that occurs every now and then and usually ends up involving theater staff who ask the person causing the disturbance to cease from their behavior or be removed from the theater.
However, this particular situation turned deadly when the man being annoyed by the chatting and texting whipped out a .380 semiautomatic hand gun and opened fire on the couple sitting in front of him. Both victims were taken to the hospital. The woman is expected to recover since her wounds are non-life-threatening. The male victim was life flighted to the Tampa hospital, but to no avail. He is dead.
Another movie goes held the shooter until deputies arrived at Cobb Theatres Grove 16 & CineBistro in Wesley Chapel.
[caption id="attachment_77837" align="aligncenter" width="538"] Wesley Chapel, which has a population of about 45,000, is located near Tampa.
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According to USA Today, an argument started when the male victim was texting during the previews before a showing of Lone Survivor, Nocco said.The male suspect, who was sitting behind the couple, took out a gun and shot them both, Nocco said.
"The male victim is deceased. The female victim was injured with non-life threatening injuries," said Doug Tobin, a spokesman for the Pasco Sheriff's Office
"It's absolutely crazy it would rise to this level over somebody just texting," Nocco said.
Cobb Theatres issued a statement saying the company was "deeply saddened," adding that "our thoughts and prayers are with the victims and their families." The building was closed and an investigation was underway. "The safety, security and comfort of our guests and team members are always our top priorities, and we are truly heartbroken by this incident," the statement said.
"Lone Survivor," based on a New York Times best seller, stars Mark Wahlberg and tells the story of four Navy SEALs on an ill-fated covert mission against the Taliban in Afghanistan.
On The Web:
Movie theater shooting: Moviegoer Shot Dead In Wesley Chapel, Florida, For Texting During Screening Of 'Lone Survivor' (VIDEO)
http://www.miamiherald.com/2014/01/13/3868771/texting-argument-in-tampa-area.html
One dead, one injured in shooting in Tampa-area cinema
http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2014/01/13/wesley-chapel-shooting_n_4590784.html
Movie theater shooting
http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/man-shot-dead-in-florida-movie-theatre-in-texting-spat-1.2495418