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Florida man shot dead in cinema texting row | Florida man shot dead in cinema texting row |
(about 1 hour later) | |
A retired police officer shot dead a fellow cinemagoer in Florida in an argument over texting, police say. | |
Ex-officer Curtis Reeves, 71, opened fire after asking a man sitting directly in front of him to stop texting several times, a Pasco County Sheriff spokesman said. | Ex-officer Curtis Reeves, 71, opened fire after asking a man sitting directly in front of him to stop texting several times, a Pasco County Sheriff spokesman said. |
Chad Oulson, 43, died in hospital. | Chad Oulson, 43, died in hospital. |
The two men, accompanied by their wives, had been watching the previews for a matinee screening in Wesley Chapel, north of Tampa, on Monday. | The two men, accompanied by their wives, had been watching the previews for a matinee screening in Wesley Chapel, north of Tampa, on Monday. |
The victim had explained that he was texting his three-year-old daughter, witness Charles Cummings told FOX 13 television. | The victim had explained that he was texting his three-year-old daughter, witness Charles Cummings told FOX 13 television. |
Mr Reeves has been charged with second-degree murder. | Mr Reeves has been charged with second-degree murder. |
Confrontation | Confrontation |
The two couples had been waiting to watch the new war film Lone Survivor at the Cobb Grove 16 cinema in Wesley Chapel when the row broke out. | The two couples had been waiting to watch the new war film Lone Survivor at the Cobb Grove 16 cinema in Wesley Chapel when the row broke out. |
Mr Reeves apparently stormed out of the auditorium to get a manager, but returned without one. | Mr Reeves apparently stormed out of the auditorium to get a manager, but returned without one. |
"Three seconds, four seconds later, the argument starts again," Mr Cummings said. | "Three seconds, four seconds later, the argument starts again," Mr Cummings said. |
"Their voices start going up; there seems to be almost a confrontation. Somebody throws popcorn, I'm not sure who threw the popcorn, and, bang, he was shot." | "Their voices start going up; there seems to be almost a confrontation. Somebody throws popcorn, I'm not sure who threw the popcorn, and, bang, he was shot." |
Mr Oulson's wife, Nicole, was wounded as she had placed her hand over her husband just as he was shot, sheriff's spokesman Doug Tobin said. | Mr Oulson's wife, Nicole, was wounded as she had placed her hand over her husband just as he was shot, sheriff's spokesman Doug Tobin said. |
A nurse in the audience tried performing emergency resuscitation on the victim while an off-duty sheriff's deputy detained the gunman, according to reports. | A nurse in the audience tried performing emergency resuscitation on the victim while an off-duty sheriff's deputy detained the gunman, according to reports. |
"The male victim is deceased. The female victim was injured with non-life-threatening injuries," Mr Tobin said. | "The male victim is deceased. The female victim was injured with non-life-threatening injuries," Mr Tobin said. |
Tampa Police spokeswoman Laura McElroy said Mr Reeves was a captain when he retired from the department in 1993, according to the Associated Press. After he retired, he was on the board of a neighbouring county's Crime Stoppers organisation. | Tampa Police spokeswoman Laura McElroy said Mr Reeves was a captain when he retired from the department in 1993, according to the Associated Press. After he retired, he was on the board of a neighbouring county's Crime Stoppers organisation. |
The cinema, part of the Cobb Theatres chain, was reportedly evacuated and closed. | The cinema, part of the Cobb Theatres chain, was reportedly evacuated and closed. |
''It's crazy. I never thought something like this would happen at our theatre," ABC News quoted cinema employee Leny Vega as saying. | ''It's crazy. I never thought something like this would happen at our theatre," ABC News quoted cinema employee Leny Vega as saying. |
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. |
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