The wife of the man shot and killed in a Pasco County movie theater said Wednesday her life has been forever changed and now she is trying to focus on her daughter and her own recovery.
Flanked by her attorneys, a tearful Nicole Oulson gave a brief statement about her life in the aftermath of her husband's shooting. She thanked the public for their concerns of her family and said she and her family are trying to deal with their grief.
"I want to thank you all on behalf of myself and my daughter Alexis and our family for your understanding, thoughts and prayers," Oulson said. "And all of the support from the community during this time of grief and sadness."
Chad Oulson was fatally shot Jan. 13 at the Cobb Grove 16 movie theater in Wesley Chapel during an argument with a retired Tampa police captain over texting. Curtis Reeves, 71, is charged with second-degree murder and is being held without bail.
Nicole Oulson was shot in the hand while trying to defend her husband. She has had surgery to her hand and is now recovering.
"My husband and me didn't get a date night very often, much less an entire day to spend together," she said through tears. "I was looking forward to spending the day with the love of my life. Just to think in the blink of an eye, my whole life was shattered into a million pieces and now I'm left trying to pick them all up and put them back together.
"It's so hard. It's so unbearable."
Investigators said Chad Oulson threw popcorn at Reeves during their argument in the theater. Deputies said Reeves then pulled out a .380 handgun and shot Oulson in the chest.
Oulson's attorney T.J. Grimaldi said they will explore all legal avenues as a result of the shooting, including all options when it comes to a possible civil suit against the movie theater. But they say at this time, their main focus is going to be Oulson and helping her through this grieving period.