© 2026 ABC News

At this point, the previews were on and the theater lights dimmed, and Oulson and Curtis Reeves interacted again, Vivian Reeves said, adding that she didn't \"know who spoke first.\" She saw her husband leaning toward Oulson, but said she couldn't hear what he said. Then, she said, Oulson spoke in a raised voice again.

\"You told on me,\" Oulson told Curtis Reeves, according to his wife. \"Who the f--- do you think you are?\"

Before Oulson was shot, she said he was leaning toward them, and it appeared that he was going to go over the seat toward them.

“It happened very quickly, and his whole upper body just came forward, and I thought that he was coming over,” she said.

After she heard the shots go off, her husband said to her, \"He hit me in the face,\" she said.

\"I just didn't know what happened,\" she said.

Curtis Reeves then sat down and put his hands on his head before an off-duty sheriff's deputy approached him and took the gun out of his lap, Vivian Reeves said.

“I said something to Curtis,\" Vivian Reeves recalled. \"I said, ‘What happened?’ You can’t shoot into a theater full of people.’ He said, ‘Not now.’”

Vivian Reeves said her husband never brought his police work home and that she couldn’t recall his ever losing his temper with her, adding that she didn’t see him showing violence or aggression to her or others.

When asked by Curtis Reeves’ defense attorney if he missed the “action” after retiring from the Tampa Police Department, Vivian Reeves replied, “No.”

'Stand Your Ground' hearing: Curtis Reeves' wife Vivian on the stand, married 49-years. First time she's testified in open court. pic.twitter.com/igBTjt9gs9

— ABC Action News (@abcactionnews) February 22, 2017

The couple has been married for 49 years, ABC Tampa affiliate WFTS reported.

Witness Joanna Turner, who was in the Cobb Grove 16 theater during the shooting, testified Tuesday that she heard Oulson say, \"I'm texting my daughter,\" before she saw a muzzle flash.

Curtis Reeves then put the gun in his lap and put his hands on the side of his head after Oulson had collapsed, Turner said.

Turner also testified that police never instructed witnesses not to talk to each other. Curtis Reeves' defense team alleges that the witnesses talked after the shooting, corrupting their accounts of what happened.

\"Joanna
Charlie Kaijo/Tampa Bay Times via AP/Pool
Joanna Turner, a witness, makes a gesture, Feb. 21, 2017, to describe how she saw Curtis Reeves react after shooting Chad Oulson during her testimony at a hearing in the case at the Robert D. Sumner Judicial Center in Dade City, Florida.
>

Prior to the shooting, Curtis Reeves had complained about Oulson's use of his phone to movie theater employees, authorities said at the time. When Curtis Reeves returned to the theater, the argument escalated.

Witnesses told police that Oulson threw a container of popcorn at Curtis Reeves before he was shot, police said. His widow, Nicole Oulson, was also shot in the hand. She told ABC News in 2014 that her husband was texting the babysitter, who was watching their young daughter.

\"It was a couple of words. No threats. No harm. No nothing,\" Nicole Oulson said in 2014. \"In the blink of an eye, 30 seconds, it just shattered my world.\"

Bond was initially denied for Curtis Reeves, but he was freed in July 2014 after spending six months in a Pasco County jail and posting a $150,000 bail, the Tampa Bay Times reported.

Curtis Reeves has pleaded not guilty to second-degree murder, claiming self-defense.

","canonicalUrl":"https://abcnews.com/US/wife-florida-man-accused-theater-shooting-victims-texting/story?id=45631421","legacySlug":"/news/story/wife-florida-man-accused-theater-shooting-victims-texting-45631421","noIndexNoFollow":false},"publishTime":"22:55","publishDate":"02-22-2017","updatedTime":"03:37","updatedDate":"02-23-2017","socialImage":{"alt":"Vivian Reeves, the wife of the man accused in a 2014 Florida movie theater shooting over texting, testifies in a hearing that will determine if Curtis Reeves met the criteria under the state's \"Stand Your Ground law,\" Feb. 22, 2017.","credit":"WFTS","ratio":"16x9","url":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/US/wfts-vivian-reeves-testimony-02-jc-170222_16x9_1600.jpg","width":992,"height":558},"datePublished":"2/22/2017 22:55:00 GMT","video":{"live":false,"id":45631421,"headline":"Wife of man accused in theater shooting testifies","mediaAssetTitle":"STAND YOUR GROUND TRIAL","description":"\"I've never been so scared in all my life,\" said Vivian Reeves.","duration":"3:10","posterImg":{"url":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/default-img-undefined.png","width":608,"height":342},"video":{"feed":"https://service-pkgabcnews.akamaized.net/opp/hls/abcnews/2017/02/170222_wfts_reeves_wife_testifies_MIX_,500,800,1200,1800,2500,3200,4500,.mp4.csmil/playlist.m3u8"},"playlist":["132488083","132306053","132266872"]},"relatedItems":[{"contentType":"video","date":"April 29, 2026","headline":"Grand jury indicts former FBI director over Instagram post","section":"News","slug":"/video/132488083","id":"132488083","image":{"alt":"VIDEO: Grand jury indicts former FBI director over Instagram post","credit":"ABCNews.com","ratio":"1x1","url":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260429_gma_thomas_comey2_706_hpMain_1x1_608.jpg","width":384,"height":384},"images":{"alt":"VIDEO: Grand jury indicts former FBI director over Instagram post","credit":"ABCNews.com","crops":[{"16x9":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260429_gma_thomas_comey2_706_hpMain_16x9_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260429_gma_thomas_comey2_706_hpMain_16x9_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260429_gma_thomas_comey2_706_hpMain_16x9_1600.jpg"}},{"9x16":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260429_gma_thomas_comey2_706_hpMain_9x16_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260429_gma_thomas_comey2_706_hpMain_9x16_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260429_gma_thomas_comey2_706_hpMain_16x9_1600.jpg"}},{"1x1":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260429_gma_thomas_comey2_706_hpMain_1x1_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260429_gma_thomas_comey2_706_hpMain_1x1_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260429_gma_thomas_comey2_706_hpMain_1x1_1600.jpg"}}]}},{"contentType":"video","date":"April 23, 2026","headline":"Trump orders Navy to 'shoot and kill' any boat laying mines in Strait of Hormuz","section":"News","slug":"/video/132306053","id":"132306053","image":{"alt":"VIDEO: Trump orders Navy to 'shoot and kill' any boat laying mines in Strait of Hormuz","credit":"ABCNews.com","ratio":"1x1","url":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260423_gma_scott_ceasefire3_hpMain_1x1_608.jpg","width":384,"height":384},"images":{"alt":"VIDEO: Trump orders Navy to 'shoot and kill' any boat laying mines in Strait of Hormuz","credit":"ABCNews.com","crops":[{"16x9":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260423_gma_scott_ceasefire3_hpMain_16x9_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260423_gma_scott_ceasefire3_hpMain_16x9_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260423_gma_scott_ceasefire3_hpMain_16x9_1600.jpg"}},{"9x16":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260423_gma_scott_ceasefire3_hpMain_9x16_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260423_gma_scott_ceasefire3_hpMain_9x16_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260423_gma_scott_ceasefire3_hpMain_16x9_1600.jpg"}},{"1x1":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260423_gma_scott_ceasefire3_hpMain_1x1_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260423_gma_scott_ceasefire3_hpMain_1x1_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260423_gma_scott_ceasefire3_hpMain_1x1_1600.jpg"}}]}},{"contentType":"video","date":"April 22, 2026","headline":"Fallout after Fed nominee grilled on Capitol Hill","section":"News","slug":"/video/132266872","id":"132266872","image":{"alt":"VIDEO: Fallout after Fed nominee grilled on Capitol Hill","credit":"ABCNews.com","ratio":"1x1","url":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260422_gma_schulze_fed3_713_hpMain_1x1_608.jpg","width":384,"height":384},"images":{"alt":"VIDEO: Fallout after Fed nominee grilled on Capitol Hill","credit":"ABCNews.com","crops":[{"16x9":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260422_gma_schulze_fed3_713_hpMain_16x9_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260422_gma_schulze_fed3_713_hpMain_16x9_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260422_gma_schulze_fed3_713_hpMain_16x9_1600.jpg"}},{"9x16":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260422_gma_schulze_fed3_713_hpMain_9x16_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260422_gma_schulze_fed3_713_hpMain_9x16_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260422_gma_schulze_fed3_713_hpMain_16x9_1600.jpg"}},{"1x1":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260422_gma_schulze_fed3_713_hpMain_1x1_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260422_gma_schulze_fed3_713_hpMain_1x1_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260422_gma_schulze_fed3_713_hpMain_1x1_1600.jpg"}}]}}],"relatedContentSection":"news","schemaContent":{"name":"Wife of man accused in theater shooting testifies","description":"\"I've never been so scared in all my life,\" said Vivian Reeves.","duration":"3:10","uploadDate":"02-22-2017","publication":"02-22-2017","images":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/default-img-undefined.png","url":"https://service-pkgabcnews.akamaized.net/opp/hls/abcnews/2017/02/170222_wfts_reeves_wife_testifies_MIX_,500,800,1200,1800,2500,3200,4500,.mp4.csmil/playlist.m3u8","contentUrl":"https://service-pkgabcnews.akamaized.net/opp/hls/abcnews/2017/02/170222_wfts_reeves_wife_testifies_MIX_,500,800,1200,1800,2500,3200,4500,.mp4.csmil/playlist.m3u8","link":"https://www.goodmorningamerica.com/news/story/wife-florida-man-accused-theater-shooting-victims-texting-45631421"}},"playlist":[{"id":"132473181","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"132497933","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"132281378","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"132283010","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"132273278","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"132231169","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"132206748","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"132200241","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"132054443","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"132054798","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"132033010","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"131912713","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"131830583","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"131834976","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"131554765","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"131554815","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"131543053","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"131432442","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"131121474","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"131247079","contentType":"story","section":"news"}],"kvps":{"pgtyp":"article","lang":"en","sp":"goodmorningamerica","programmatic":"true","bundleId":"com.abcnews"}},"analytics":{"accountID":"wdgnewwdgnewgmaweb","ns":"gma","pageName":"gma:news:video","pageType":"video","globalSpecVersion":"v1.08","siteDifferentiator":"gma:site","tagID":"g_page01","userABCookie":"0","section":"news","title":"Wife of man accused in theater shooting testifies","pubTime":"17:55","pubDate":"02-22-2017","modTime":"22:37","modDate":"02-22-2017","taxonomyTags":"none","id":45631421,"editorialOtherSubjects":"","wordCount":"none","columns":"none","authors":"","authorsUnit":"none","authorsBureau":"none","subBrand":"Good Morning America","provider":"Good Morning America","videoName":"Wife of man accused in theater shooting testifies","mediaAssetTitle":"STAND YOUR GROUND TRIAL","videoId":45631421,"mediaOnPage":"video","legacySlug":"/news/story/wife-florida-man-accused-theater-shooting-victims-texting-45631421"},"taboola":{}},"request":{"headers":{},"httpVersion":"1.1","method":"GET","url":"/video/45631421","vary":{"host":"www.goodmorningamerica.com","cached":true,"path":"/video/45631421","forwarded-proto":"https","device":"desktop","userab":"0"}},"viewport":{"width":1260,"height":0},"user":{}};