A retired police officer shot two people, including one fatally, during a cell phone dispute inside a theater in Wesley Chapel, Florida on Monday, authorities said, as reported by foxnews.com.
The 71-year-old Curtis Reeves Jr. had told the 43-year-ol Chad Oulson to stop texting during an early afternoon screening of 'Lone Survivor," according to Pasco County Sheriff Chris Nocco. After Oulson refused, Reeves went to theater personnel. It was then that Reeves allegedly pulled out a gun and shot Oulson and his wife. Oulson later died from the gunshot, while his wife, Nicole was injured, as reported by MyFoxTampabBay.com.
"The victim was on his cell phone; he was texting. We believe he was making some kind of noise. This noise led to an altercation between the suspect and the victim," Sheriff Chris Nocco explained.
Charles Cummings told FOX 13 he heard the victim say he was texting his 3-year-old daughter before Reeves pulled out a pistol.
An off-duty police officer who was present at the scene restrained Reeves until authorities arrived. Reeves was charged with second degree homicide, authorities said.
"It's absolutely crazy it would rise to this level over somebody just texting in a movie theater. I can't believe people would bring a gun to a movie," Charles Cummings, a Vietnam veteran who had been watching the movie at the time of the shooting, told to MyFoxTampaBay.com.
Reeves retired from the Tampa By Police Department in September 1993 as a captain, as reported by Foxnews.com. "He was instrumental in establishing the department's first Tactical Response Team," the statement explained. "We are not aware of any contact with the department since his departure more than 20 years ago," as reported by MyFoxTampaBay.com.
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