Chad Oulson, Movie Theater Shooting Victim, Remembered By Friends

Chad Oulson is the movie theater shooting victim that was gunned down by a retired police captain for using his cell phone to text his daughter during Lone Survivor previews.

The tragic event took place on Monday at the Cobb Theaters in Pasco, Florida, while moviegoers were waiting to watch the Mark Wahlberg movie.

Oulson and his wife were sitting in front of retired Tampa police officer, 71-year-old Curtis Reeves, who got annoyed that he was using his cell phone — before the movie even started — to text his three-year-old daughter.

Reeves allegedly asked Chad Oulson to put his phone away and, after some words, got up to go find a manager, but returned to the room alone.

Words were exchanged, according to witnesses, and then the shocking shooting happened. In an instant, a night that was supposed to be spent relaxing watching a much talked about movie about a war hero, turned into a nightmare.

Reeves fired his gun and mortally wounded Chad Oulson as his wife, Nicole, tried to stop him by putting her hand up. She was also injured.

Friends say Chad and Nicole Oulson had gone on a lunch date and then wanted to catch the movie at the Cobb Theaters.

Mongelli and his wife told ABC Action News they would often hang out with the Oulsons and even spent the holidays with them. They are also parents of a toddler.

Chad Oulson is being remembered as a loving and devoted husband and father, always putting his family first and obviously in love with his little girl.

“He was always at the community pool playing with kids, loved the water, loved her (his daughter),” said neighbor and friend Saverio Mongelli.

On Monday, Chad Oulson and his wife had made arrangements to go to lunch and the movie afterwards, friends report. They specifically chose the matinee so they could pick up their daughter Lexy from daycare on time.

Pasco County Sheriff’s office reports that soon after the Oulsons took their seats, the argument started over Chad’s texting Lexy.

Sheriff Chris Nocco told ABC Action News Curtis Reeves, Jr. left the room to find an usher who could make Chad Oulson turn off his cell phone. He returned alone and exchanged words with the young man, popcorn was thrown, and that is when the former captain pulled out a.380 pistol and shot the father and husband.

“For a retired or off duty officer, who has that training and all that, it should have never escalated to that point,” said Chad Oulson’s friend Joseph Trapani.

Witnesses report that when Nicole Oulson realized what was happening, she jumped to protect her husband by putting her hand in front of his chest, but the bullet went through and injured her.

According to witness Alex Cummings who was seated a few rows back, Chad Oulson took a few steps and said, “I can’t believe I’ve been shot.”

Oulson fell on top of Cummings, who was in the movie theater with his son as part of is birthday celebration, and he died moments later in a pool of blood.

Two nurses that were at the movies performed CPR while the paramedics arrived, but it was too late. Nicole Oulson was taken to a local hospital and later released. She is at home with her daughter.

Curtis Reeves has been charged with second-degree murder and his bail has been denied.

“She’s a wreck. I mean she just lost her husband, the father of her little girl over something that should have never happened. It is just going to be a huge hole in everybody’s lives for him and his family. He’d give you the shirt off his back if he needed to,” Trapani said of Chad Oulson’s tragic death.