Florida cinema shooting: Man who killed texter had been texting, too
Source: CS Monitor
Curtis Reevess son was late. So, at 1:04 p.m. on Jan. 13, Mr. Reeves, a retired police officer, sent his son a text, telling him that he and his wife had gone into the movie theater and were seated.
Not so unusual except that, just minutes later, Reeves shot to death another theatergoer when the man refused to stop texting during the movie previews.
Reeves's son, Matthew Reeves, told investigators that his father had replied to his text that he was late to meet them at the 1:20 p.m. showing of "Lone Survivor," after he stopped to wash his truck, according to documents released Thursday by Florida prosecutors and obtained by the Associated Press. His father had replied that he and his wife were seated.
When Matthew did walk into the theater, about 15 minutes later, he saw the light and heard the sound of the gunshot that killed Chad Oulsen, who was sitting with his wife and had been texting the babysitter watching his young daughter while waiting for the movie to begin, according to investigators quoted in The Tampa Bay Times. Matthew had rushed to use a bystanders shirt to stop the blood flow from the wounded man and had looked up to see his father, standing in the theaters back row, looking shocked, according to The Tampa Bay Times.
FULL story at link.
Read more: http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/USA-Update/2014/0313/Florida-cinema-shooting-Man-who-killed-texter-had-been-texting-too
Curtis Reeves, here at a bond hearing in Dade City, Fla., on Feb. 5, reportedly shot a man in a movie theater on Jan. 13, because he was texting. He is charged with second-degree murder in the killing of Chad Oulson.
Andy Jones/The Tampa Tribune/AP/File
marions ghost
(19,841 posts)The guy he killed was armed with popcorn.
This country is insane.
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There are a lot of people dead today who would be alive but for [a gun carrier] who gets angry and accelerates an argument to a homicide, says Kristen Rand, legislative director at the Violence Policy Center in Washington. Its very clear that carrying a concealed gun creates a mindset among some people that, Ive got a gun, the state sanctions it, therefore I have a right to use it in public.
http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Politics/2014/0115/Florida-popcorn-shooting-Are-concealed-guns-about-self-defense-or-power-video
freshwest
(53,661 posts)SoCalMusicLover
(3,194 posts)The guy had no choice. Popcorn was being thrown at him.
CincyDem
(6,385 posts)Do you have any idea how it can hurt to get salted buttery popcorn in your eye.
I mean, gawsh...it's a killer. Demands that one stand their ground. First popcorn - what's next. If this guy escalated to raisinetttes, there would be no stopping him.
When will we learn. when you put guns everywhere, this will happen everywhere.
CincyDem
(6,385 posts)Popcorn: It's a gateway weapon.
Next up: Raisinettes. And you know where this is going.
Skittles: now we're talking hard core.
Thor_MN
(11,843 posts)UpInArms
(51,284 posts)Scruffy Rumbler
(961 posts)Popcorn, Raisinettes, Goobers..... mighty good to eat... then Skittles!
About the Skittles, is that the "weapon of choice" type Skittles or DU Skittles? Cause DU Skittles kicks butt!
Skittles
(153,182 posts)I WILL KICK MOVIE TEXTING ASS but they WILL survive; yes INDEED
mindwalker_i
(4,407 posts)AtheistCrusader
(33,982 posts)Grab your cane, so you can stand.
Lay on the ground, with your hands cuffed behind your back, while being black.
Maybe or maybe not throw some popcorn.
It's a trained response, really.
CincyDem
(6,385 posts)because his wife and daughter had a fight...so he ended up getting killed by 5 cops who were "just following protocol".
And then of course is the noisy do gooder who called the police in the first place because the mom and daughter were getting into it.
When will people learn that the words of immortal Richard Daley: The Police aren't here to create disorder, they're here to preserve dis order. Calling a copy should be your last resort - unless you need whole milk delivered a la Boston bombing delivery plan.
I think this is true when you're white - I can't imagine how much more true it is for someone of color. I'm sure our SCOTuS would uphold a "breathing while black" law if it ever made it to the court.
Sorry - rant off. This shit is just so far out of hand.
Blue_Tires
(55,445 posts)the shooting had *nothing* to do with texting...The shooter was in a pissy-shit mood and just looking for the one spark to set him off...
Believe me, if the father wasn't texting, Reeves would have found some other justification (cough, sneeze, laughing too loud) to go off...
Fumesucker
(45,851 posts)There were quite a few of them as I recall.
pragmatic_dem
(410 posts)Fumesucker
(45,851 posts)You seem to have groked the gestalt around here very nicely.
blackspade
(10,056 posts)bpj62
(999 posts)I guess he thought that no one was going to check his phone records. I still wouldn't count on a conviction because the SYG laws puts the burden of proof on the prosecution and on the victim who generally tends to be dead and is unable to testify. The SYG law in its current form basically allows you to commit state sanctioned murder. This is a horrible law but unless state houses across the country start changing to blue you are not going to see it repealed.
Tom Ripley
(4,945 posts)hedgehog
(36,286 posts)brain that controls impulse.
Families can arrange to cancel the driver's license from people who shouldn't be driving, but can anyone take away the license of someone who shouldn't be holding a gun?
Lurks Often
(5,455 posts)Federal law is the base line, so anything that would prevent a person from buying a gun under Federal law will get the permit revoked (and usually arrested). Some states will have other disqualifiers in addition to Federal law.
If you are referring to mental health issues, it will still vary by state law, but an educated guess is that you will probably have to prove to a judge or maybe the issuing authority, that the permit holder has become mentally incompetent to carry or own a firearm.
jpak
(41,758 posts)to end the texting crime.
yup