A Greensboro man gets shot at screening for 'Notorious' (and how Friday Night Lights saved my life)

From News & Record

GREENSBORO - A 32-year-old man was shot twice in the abdomen during an argument and an estimated 700 people were evacuated when gunfire broke out at a Greensboro movie theater Friday night.

The sound of a gunshot echoed throughout the lobby of the Grand 18 at Four Seasons Station just after 9 p.m. as moviegoers waited to get into opening night showings of "Notorious" - the life and death story of the rapper Notorious B.I.G.

Greensboro police Lt. James Hinson said the victim, identified early Saturday morning as Clive O’Connor, was rushed to Moses Cone Hospital, where he underwent surgery. His medical condition was not immediately available.

No suspects were in custody late Friday night.

"We can't say whether or not this shooting is in direct relationship to the movie 'Notorious' B.I.G. We just can't say," Hinson said. The theater had three showings of the film scheduled for 9:30 p.m.

Rapper and actor Jamal "Gravy" Woolard, who plays B.I.G. in the film, was in the theater at the time of the shooting, police and witnesses said.

You can read the rest of the article here

Watching season one of Friday Night Lights on DVD might have inadvertently prevented me from getting shot last night, or - at the very least - from watching another man get shot.

I was planning to go see My Bloody Valentine in 3-D at the Four Seasons. The movie was also playing at the Regal 16, but Four Seasons has cheaper admission, better seats, better snacks (i.e. cashews sold by the pound and kettle corn), and for the most part it is the best place to see a movie here in the 'Boro. Until now I guess.

I was sitting at home an hour and a half before the movie was going to start, and I watched one episode. It was great, so the all-id side of my brain that seeks immediate gratification told me, 'Go ahead, watch another episode.'

I told my id, 'But if I watch another episode, I'll only have time to see MBV:3-D at the Regal 16, and would rather see it at the Four Seasons instead!'

Then my id responds, 'So what! It's just a dollar extra admission, crappy seats, and you can just get some cashews and kettle corn later.'

Me having limited will power, I caved in and watched another episode, saw MBV:3-D at the Regal 16, and in doing so, ducked a night of carnage and insanity at one of my local churches of cinema.

Fortunately the man who got shot twice is still alive, but everyone at the theater was evacuated. All showings were stopped and canceled for the rest of the evening. The Four Seasons has also halted all three screenings of Notorious indefinitely, which means if I go see that movie this weekend, something I actually plan to do, I will have to go to the crappy Regal 16 again, regardless of whether I choose to watch an extra episode of Friday Night Lights or not.

Oh, and by the way, My Bloody Valentine in 3-D sucked.