- Suspected shooter is a retired Tampa police officer
- Only one shot was fired, hitting both wife and husband
- Off-duty deputy in theater made sure gunman didn't leave
- Witness says argument escalated during previews, victim fell on him and son
(CNN) -- A retired police officer is accused of shooting a man dead during an argument over texting in a Florida movie theater Monday afternoon, police said.
The victim's wife also was wounded when the shooter pulled a handgun and fired once before the afternoon showing of the war film "Lone Survivor" at the theater complex in Wesley Chapel, Pasco County Sheriff Chris Nocco said.
The suspect, Curtis Reeves, is a retired Tampa police officer and will be charged with second-degree homicide, Nocco said.
Police: Moviegoer killed for texting Nocco identified the victims as Chad and Nicole Oulson, who he said were sitting in a row in front of Reeves and his wife.
"There was an altercation because the victim was using his cell phone. He was texting," Nocco said. "This led to a verbal altercation, the verbal altercation escalated."
Reeves, 71, pulled out a .380-caliber handgun and as Nicole Oulson raised her hand, the shooter fired once, Nocco said.
A witness said the shooting happened during previews to the movie. Charles Cummings told reporters that Chad Oulson, 43, sat two seats from him and his son. Reeves was upset by Oulson's cell phone use and the two argued, Reeves then got up and left the theater for a brief time, Cummings said.
"He came back very irritated," Cummings said. Nocco told reporters that the shooter had gone to report the encounter to an employee.
The two men started arguing again and the cell phone user told the other man he was just texting his daughter, Cummings said. A few silent seconds elapsed and the argument started again.
Nocco said Oulson confronted the shooter about going to the theater employee.
Cummings said the argument got louder.
"Their voices started going up. There seemed to almost be a confrontation," Cummings said. "Somebody throws popcorn; I'm not sure who threw it. And then bang, he was shot."
The victim staggered over and fell on Cummings and his son. A nurse who was in the theater performed CPR on the victim until the paramedics arrived, said Cummings, who like his son, had spatters of blood on his clothes.
The shooter sat down and put the gun on his lap, and an off-duty deputy from Sumter County who was there to watch the film made sure the shooter didn't leave.
There were about 25 people in the theater when the shooting occurred.
Nocco said Reeves was at the theater with his wife, and there was no indication that the two couples involved knew each other.
The shooting happened at about 1:30 p.m. inside one of the theaters at the Grove 16 complex, sheriff's spokeswoman Melanie Snow said.
"This was an isolated altercation between two guests that escalated unexpectedly. The safety, security and comfort of our guests and team members are always our top priorities, and we are truly heartbroken by this incident," Cobb Theatres, which operates the Grove complex, said in a written statement.
CNN's Suzanne Presto contributed to this report.
