Superhero films seem to have a disturbing trend of inspiring violence inside movie theaters. The latest example of this comes from North Carolina where a black couple are now being held on multiple felony charges after allegedly open firing inside a crowded screening of Black Panther. Possibly most perplexing in this case is that the use of a firearm wasn’t the act of some deranged killer but rather merely just that of an angry moviegoer upset they were being denied the seat of their choice. Yes, that’s right, Shameka Latrice Lynch and her boyfriend Chadwick Cherry opened fire inside a crowded theater just because they claimed people were sitting in their assigned seats.
Chadwick Cherry (40) and Shameka Latrice Lynch (30)
Police documents reveal that the pair seemingly attacked two gentlemen in the dispute over seats, a Randy Jones and a Deandre Cox. Witnesses on the scene report death threats being made upon the pair if they did not move. Upon their seeming refusal to budge, a .32 caliber pistol was produced, and shots fired with at least one landing in the ceiling of the theater.
The couple then quickly fled the scene before police could arrive, though Lynch would later turn herself over to the police the next day. She currently is residing in the Pitt County Detention Center on a $250,000 bond. Her partner in crime was later forcibly taken into custody days later.
Both have now been charged with three separate crimes. Including the discharge of a firearm in an enclosure to incite fear, and two counts of assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill. Cherry has also been given the additional charge of illegal possession of a firearm by a prior felon.