By Matt Wiley
A man is dead, following a shooting inside the Cobb Theatres Grove 16 movie theater in Wesley Chapel because of texting.
According to the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office (PCSO), an altercation broke out between two couples during a January 13 showing of “Lone Survivor” around 1:30 p.m. inside the movie theater located at The Grove shopping plaza in Wesley Chapel.
PCSO reports that the argument escalated when the male suspect, retired Tampa Police Capt. Curtis Reeves, Jr, shot Chad and Nichole Oulson seated a row in front of them in the same theater with a .380 handgun. PCSO reports that the altercation arose because Oulson was texting during the previews before the 1:20 p.m. showing of “Lone Survivor.”
The PCSO arrest report explains that Reeves asked Oulson to stop texting and at one point left the theater to report the cell phone use to theater management. An argument ensued and Oulson reportedly threw a bag of popcorn at Reeves and his wife, at which point Reeves removed the gun from his pocket and shot Oulson. Reeves said in an interview following his arrest that he shot because he was in fear of being attacked after Oulson stood up and threw an unknown object at his face.
Oulson reportedly was shot in the chest and later died from his wound at a local hospital. His wife tried to shield him from the shot, but the bullet traveled through her hand and into Oulson. About 25 people were in the theater at the time of the shooting. Among those were two off-duty nurses who worked to keep Oulson alive until help arrived.
A “Good Samaritan,” identified as Sumter County Sheriff’s Office Cpl. Alan Hamilton, was able to detain the suspect until authorities arrived.
The Tampa Police Department (TPD) reports that Reeves retired from the force in 1993 and was instrumental in establishing the department’s first Tactical Response Team. His son, Matthew Reeves, currently is a TPD officer.
Reeves is being held without bail at the Land O’Lakes Detention Center for second-degree murder.
Cobb Theatres released the following statement, ““We are deeply saddened by the events that occurred on (January 13), and our thoughts and prayers are with the victims and their families. The theatre currently is closed, and we are actively working with the sheriff’s office on this investigation. This was an isolated altercation between two guests that escalated unexpectedly. The safety, security and comfort of our guests and team members are always our top priorities, and we are truly heartbroken by this incident.”
No additional information is available. Stay tuned to NTNeighborhoodNews.com for updates.
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