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Man Shot To Death For Texting During Movie
An anonymous reader writes "The New York Times reports that an argument over texting ended in a cellphone user's death when a retired police officer in the audience shot him in a theater near Tampa, Florida on Monday. The report notes that 'cinema executives acknowledged during a trade conference last year that they debated whether to accommodate younger viewers by allowing text messages during some movies.'"
he died doing what he loved. He will not be missed.
A 'singular oddity' is an event that cannot be explained and only happens when you are alone.
It was a retired cop.
And I do wonder why people would carry a gun when going to the movies.
Duh! Because nobody has ever walked into a theater and shot the place up? (ok, not that it is expected to happen again, but still. Proof it can happen)
Do you only buy life insurance when you travel? Only get car insurance for when you want to drive fast or during the winter when its more likely cars will slide into one another?
If you choose to carry, you carry most places. Doesnt matter if its at the theater, the store, the park, etc. Bad people willing to do bad things are everywhere you are. It isnt like a life jacket or bear spray that you can leave at home when you arent boating or hiking in the wilderness.
Guy was still a dick. Everyone knows texters only deserve a pistol whipping. LOL
I say they need to make the back 3 rows texting friendly. Anyone caught texting outside of those rows are fair game for immediate ejection with no refund. Maybe even banned from the property. If you cant be without texts/calls for 2 hours, you shouldnt be at the movies. First responder or someone who MUST be able to get texts? Sit your as on an end so you can easily excuse yourself if you get a text.
They were previews - which means the theater was darkened (except for the blinding light from the cell phone) and the trailers which are mini-movies in themselves - were being played. The guy was just being rude.
The guy is repeatedly asked to turn off his cellphone and he refuses. The old guy leaves the theater to report him, but he either can't find a manager (I know in my local theater good luck finding an employee during a movie), or they refuse to do anything about it. He comes back and the texting guy turns (as reported) and accuses the old man of trying to get him ejected from the theater. We don't know exactly the way he put it but I can imagine. He gets up and turns around. Since they are one row apart, that';s probably less than a yard from the old guys face, and then he throws popcorn in his face. From the pictures, this guy seems pretty tall and strong and it's not unreasonable that one punch from him could kill a 71 year old.
Here's where your argument falls absolutely flat: The 71 year old had a loaded gun with him. A loaded gun is an accident or murder waiting to happen. Since he had a gun, and was willing to use it, he should never, ever, ever have returned to the theatre. Did he think having a loaded gun makes him a strong man who doesn't need to be afraid of a fight? In that case, he should never have been allowed to take a gun with him.
Right. The bad guy walks back into the cinema with his gun. Raises it into texters face, and *BAM* headshot! Brave, well armed Americans in the audience do the only logical thing of drawing their own weapons and *BAM* *BAM* *BAM* shoot the bad guy once in his guts, the other shot goes astray and the third one pierces a little girls lung, right through her popcorn bag. Bad guy is seriously hurt, but he's not down yet. Instinctively he defends himself and shots another two shots into the audience *BAM* *BAM*, he's a trained ex-police officer so he scores another headshot right in the eye while another shot ricochets of a wall and obliterates a guys jaw as he was fleeing the scene. Finally another gunman aims true and hits bad guy right in the chest. America wins!
Casualties:
1 bad guy (internal bleeding)
1 texter (headshot wound)
1 brave american hero (headshot wound)
1 little girl (suffocation in own blood)
1 pussy fleeing dude, hospitalized, survived, will talk funny for the rest of his life. Serves him right for not standing his ground
I'll tell you what. I'll buy you a ticket to fly down and explain to the fatherless 3 year old how this is a win for moviegoers. Do report back on how that goes.
The kid is 3. He's not a moviegoer. The GP said its a win for moviegoers, not for the guy's family.
As a moviegoer who has no relation in any form with the victim, by any calculus if it makes people who think its okay to act like dicks think twice about being dicks, then it is, in fact, a win for me.