http://www.cnn.com/2014/01/13/justice/florida-movie-theater-shooting/index.html?c=homepage-t&page=1
a retired cop was so irritated by a verbal, popcorn throwing altercation with a moviegoer who texted that he shot him.
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Holy crap! That's insane. My first two thoughts are this is why people shouldn't be allowed to carry weapons around wherever they feel like it (although now I'm reading that weapons are prohibited at the theater) and that of course this happened in Florida (no offense FL bees!) Yikes.
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When I read the title of this thread, I thought, "surely, this is a joke." This is so sad.
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Wow he was a retired captain too. Incredible.
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@Shutterbug: smh- my state. The pro gun folks always say "well most gun owners are responsible...they never carry where they are not supposed to...blah blah." Cell phone glare is very annoying, but come on you don't draw and fire a weapon in a movie theater because of it!
Hindsight is 20/20 text vs gun is very unfair. However, I don't care who you are texting or why you are texting. When the lights of the movie dim, you are bothering me.
This incident reminded me when I asked an orthodontist tech to put her phone away before working on my braces in my mouth. Then the orthodontist came in asking if her mom was doing okay. I felt sort of like a douche because clearly that's why her phone was out and why she kept checking it. But, again I'm nervous and you have sharp instruments and glue in my mouth. I want your total focus.
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This is my aunt and uncle's main movie theater, so they were talking about this yesterday on Facebook. I do think that more people carry guns to the movies than people might realize since the Colorado shooting. I honestly haven't felt safe in one since, but I'm not going carry a freaking weapon in. Why someone feels the need to shoot anyone who isn't causing them physical harm is beyond me. People are crazy.
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@Shutterbug: I had the same thoughts! Honestly, I don't know that I would go to a movie theater in FL. Small, dark enclosed place, lots of unstable people carrying weapons (not that all floridians are unstable or carrying, but it does seem like a disproportionate amount compared to other places!) - one starts shooting, you know others would start, but no one would know who's doing so as defense vs offense. Giant cluster <bleep>
Are people allowed to carry in Disney? I'm assuming that's a no no, right?
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This is so sad
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@mrs. bird: Definetly not allowed in Disney. There's actually an intense list of items not allowed and inspected for going into the parks, so weapons certainly don'make the cut.
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He was a police captain and director of security for Bush Gardens?! How the hell ... this is just frightening.
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I swear we're not all crazy in FL, right@Mrs. Lemon-Lime: ?
It's rediculous and scary, this guy used to 'protect and serve' and now he's shooting people over a cell phone?
@mrs. bird: While Disney doesn't allow them, there are no metal detectors or intensive search processes (check your purse and stroller, not you waste band). Last summer a gun was found on one of the ride seats at one of the parks. The owner didn't realize it had fallen out/didn't know he couldn't have it. Scary.
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This is just so awful!
I can't help but wonder what was going on in the head of the man who was the shooter? He has obviously had other altercations in his life but not shot someone. Why was this day different? Why did someone texting tick him off so much? I feel so horrible for the family of the man who was shot. His poor wife who witnessed it and his daughter who will forever go through life thinking about how her father was shot over a text to her. Ugh. This is an awful, awful story.
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@Mrs. Taco: correct!
@delight: you never know what is going in people's live. I try to live with the stance that everyone could use a hug and to tread lightly and politelty.
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Well that escalated quickly.
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Poor that family :(. That's so selfish
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Holy cow!!! That's just crazy!!!!
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That is really screwed up. Depressing news today!
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What!! Ugh, this is awful.
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@pui: You win the thread. lol
I read about this yesterday, crazy stuff. Obviously the shooter lost his damn mind. I'd sort of love to see what actually happened though because it seems like he must have been provoked more than just a text?? I'd like to believe so anyways..?
Also, not that this justifies being shot (um, obviously) but people need to stop with their phones in theaters already. And some people are dicks about it. I got into an argument with a lady one time because she ANSWERED HER PHONE and tried to have a conversation during the movie. And it was a packed movie where she was sitting in the seat directly next to me. She refused to hang up. Not that she deserved to be shot (again, obviously), but seriously people, stop with the g-d phones. If it's more important than the movie, step out into the hall.
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Yeah I read about this and thought it was horrible. We live in Texas, in a very conservative/gun owning area, and it's the main reason we shy away from confrontations like this. Odds are the person you are fighting is packing a weapon.
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@Mae: the shooter alerted the movie staff and when he came back into the theater the victim asked him if he told him. The victim told him the text was to his daughter (as if that makes it better). Pop corn was thrown. Weapon drawn and fired. There was definitely a verbal altercation and pop corn assault.
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OMG how awful!!
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@Mrs. Lemon-Lime: Were the theater people going to ask the guy to leave do you know? Or did they blow off the shooter? Our movie theater has a notification before every movie (starting just a few months ago) that if they catch you with your phone out for any reason, they will ask you to leave. Love it. Also lol @ popcorn assault. I wonder how serious the verbal altercation was. Like if there was ANY chance the shooter could have thought he was in danger, or that the other guy had a gun or something. You'd hope/think that a retired police guy wouldn't be so jumpy… but I guess I would also hope that he had some rational belief that this was actually necessary and didn't shoot someone just for being an asshole in a movie theater.
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@Mae: no indication yet that the movie personnel was going to ask the guy to leave. Most of the people working at theaters are kids and they aren't trying to in force policy. I am seeing more and more security personnel at the theaters; maybe they could have escorted the victim out.
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Wow...
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This hurts my heart. I live very near Wesley Chapel (in the Tampa Bay area) and this is dominating local news coverage today. There are so many inconsistencies/missing details still.
Right now, the discussion is turning to whether he was supported by Florida's Stand Your Ground law (think Trayvon Martin case).
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Horrible! What is the world coming to?!
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I think that we will learn more as the story develops. The shooter may have some mental issues. Its tragic all around. As for guns, though, a movie theater is absolutely a place you would carry one if you did, in fact, carry a gun. Even if a theater didn't allow guns, a police officer would be able to carry one at that location. So sad.
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@MrsMcD: He retired in 1993 though? That's 20+ years ago...
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Of course this was Florida. Sigh. Can I move?
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@MrsMcD: Yes, definitely. With a concealed weapons permit, you're allowed to carry a gun most places except places like schools, etc. that are explicitly listed. But if a place has a no weapons policy, they're allowed to eject you from the premises.
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@mrbee: I don't know whether or not cops' gun-carrying rules run out after cops retire. I've haven't read anything that the man was illegally carrying his weapon.
@sunshineandsushi: Cops are permitted to carry guns basically everywhere. I can't think of one normal, everyday place where a cop cannot carry a gun even while off-duty even if the place has a no-guns policy.
@sunshineandsushi: I've read that detectives determined the stand your ground law does not apply.
Such a sad situation all around.
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@mrbee: I just did read that federal law allows retired police officers to carry a concealed firearm anywhere in the country regardless of the local rules.
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@MrsMcD: From what I've read so far (which could be incorrect), he had a concealed weapons license. Since he was retired, I don't think he had special allowances, but I could be wrong. <--- just read your post above, so you can ignore this part.
Yes, I also read the detectives said the stand your ground law doesn't apply, but I also read they expect that could play a part in his defense.
Technically, with the victim throwing the popcorn at his face, it is considered assault (by popcorn??) and assaulting a senior citizen (which the retired cop is) is a felony in Florida.
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