Here’s a prime example why it’s never worth getting into arguments or fights with strangers when you can just walk away: the man in the image above casually murdered a fellow moviegoer during an argument over reserved seats.

Enrique Padilla, 21, has been sentenced to 20 years in prison after gunning down 52-year-old Michael Tenorio following an argument over seating during a screening of Jennifer Lawrence movie ‘No Hard Feelings’ (good film btw) at the Century Rio 24 theatre in Albuquerque, New Mexico, last year.

According to the Albuquerque Journal, police said at the time of the incident that Padilla got into an argument with Tenorio after he asked the 21-year-old to move over one seat so that Tenorio, a father of four, and his wife could sit together. Pretty reasonable request, you would think.

Tenorio and his wife had purchased two seats apart from each other, and a cinema employee advised the couple to ask Padilla and his date to move down one seat so they could sit together.

The two couples eventually sat down next to each other, but apparently Padilla felt uncomfortable sitting next to the Tenorios and decided to leave the cinema. As he and his date were leaving, Padilla said he heard the Tenorios laughing and tossed popcorn at them. Big mistake, as it turns out.

According to witnesses, Tenorio said, “What the hell?”, got up, and pushed Padilla into a wall. Next thing you know, gunshots are ringing out and Michael Tenorio is laying dead at the scene. He sustained gun shot wounds to his chest, abdomen and leg.

Padilla somehow also ended up shooting himself in the abdomen, and ended up collapsing and being taken to hospital, but he survived.

Padilla’s lawyer argued that her client felt ‘threatened’ by Tenorio, especially as he’d been shot himself earlier in the year and had PTSD from that. She added: “While he did make a foolish decision to toss popcorn at the Tenorios as he walked away, he never expected to be violently attacked as a result.”

The 21-year-old did apologise to Tenorio’s family in court, but the victim’s sister showed no mercy when requesting that the judge give him the maximum sentence:

“I am angry and hurt that Enrique Padilla used a gun to kill my brother, needlessly taking the life of Michael. Their father, husband, son, friend, brother and relative. I am angry that the movie theater only had one feeble, little sign that said ‘no guns allowed.’ “

Jeez, how f***** up are gun laws in the US that you need a ‘no guns allowed’ sign at the cinema? Which isn’t even much of a deterrent, clearly.

Given Padilla pled guilty to second-degree murder, he was ultimately given the maximum sentence of 20 years. If he’d plead not guilty, he would have got life.

It’s just so ridiculous that this incident was the result of an argument over seating at a cinema. The victim’s wife bought tickets knowing the seats were split up, and the victim gave Padilla a hard time when he didn’t want to switch seats. As a 21-year-old on a date, I guess he didn’t want to look like he was getting bullied out of his seat? Well, eventually he complied, but it seems the tension between the pair remained, and ended in absolute tragedy. What a stupid, completely avoidable mess!

RIP Michael Tenorio and thoughts with his friends and family.

To watch a fight break out at the cinema during a screening of the Garfield movie, click HERE.