By Matt Wiley
A 33-year-old widow and her 22-month-old daughter continue to recover from the sudden death of a Wesley Chapel man, following a shooting at the Cobb Theatres Grove 16 movie theater (also in Wesley Chapel) over the use of a cell phone during the previews before a weekday matinee.
“Right now I’m still just trying to recover from the shock,” Nichole Oulson said in a press conference in Tampa on Jan. 22, her first public appearance since her husband Chad, 43, was shot on January 13 just before the 1:20 p.m. showing of “Lone Survivor” inside Theater 10 of the Grove 16 complex. “My main focus is and always will be on my daughter Alexis. It’s just unimaginable.”
According to the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office (PCSO), an altercation broke out between the Oulsons and another couple because Chad was texting the couple’s babysitter, who was watching Alexis.
“Me and my husband didn’t get a date night very often, much less a whole day to spend together, so I was just so excited and looking forward to spending the day with the love of my life at a place of entertainment,” Nichole said in the conference. “In the blink of an eye, my whole world just got shattered into a million pieces. Now I’m left trying to pick them all up and put them back together. It’s so hard and unbearable.”
PCSO reports that the argument appeared to be escalating when the suspect, retired Tampa Police (TPD) Capt. Curtis Reeves, Jr., 71, shot at the Oulsons, who were seated a row in front of him, with a .380 handgun.
The arrest report explains that Reeves asked Chad Oulson to stop texting and at one point even left the theater to report the cell phone use to theater management. When he returned, an argument ensued and, according to witnesses, Chad reportedly threw a bag of popcorn at Reeves and his wife, at which point Reeves removed the gun from his pocket and shot Oulson. Nichole reportedly tried to shield Chad from the shot, but the bullet traveled through her hand and into her husband.
Reeves said in an interview following his arrest that he shot at Oulson because he was in fear of being attacked after Chad stood up and threw what Reeves called an unknown object — which turned out to be a bag of popcorn — at his face.
The bullet hit Chad in the chest and he later died from his wound at a local hospital. During the 9-1-1 tapes that were released on January 24, an off-duty nurse can be heard on the phone with a member of the Pasco County Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) Communications Department, which handles emergency calls for the county, trying to keep the man alive while on the line. About 25 people were in the theater at the time of the shooting. Among those were two off-duty nurses (one of whom dialed 9-1-1) 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 Reeves until authorities arrived.
Witnesses told deputies that no punches were thrown and Pasco Sheriff Chris Nocco said at a news conference the next day that none of the witnesses believed that Reeves would be able to use a “Stand Your Ground” defense in the case.
Published reports state that another couple also had a verbal altercation with Reeves about texting in a movie theater during a December 28 showing of “The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug” at the same theater complex.
“It could have been us,” Jamira Dixon said in a press conference with her husband Michael. Dixon said that after Reeves snapped at her and her husband, he also said something to someone else in the theater.
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. Published reports also state that at one point, Reeves also was the head of security at Busch Gardens Tampa.
At our press time, Reeves was 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 (Jan. 13), and our thoughts and prayers are with the victims and their families. 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 comment yet, add your voice below!