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A 18-year-old man shot his 19-year-old girlfriend in the chest during a disagreement in the Walnut Street AMC theater yesterday afternoon. Nathaniel Page, of the 1100 block of South 54th Street, was charged with aggravated assault and related counts. His girlfriend was identified by Philadelphia Police as Wanda McNealy, of the 5300 block of Thomas Avenue. According to University Police, neither is a University student. Page and McNealy went to see a 1:15 p.m. showing of The Hand That Rocks The Cradle at the AMC theater at 3925 Walnut Street. The two started arguing sometime during the movie, according to Sergeant Dorney of the West Detectives Division of the Philadelphia Police Department. At approximately 2:10 p.m., Page shot McNealy in the chest, police said. Philadelphia Police Detective William Brennan said that an employee of the theater saw patrons running out, screaming that there had been a shooting. The Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania listed McNealy in stable condition with a chest wound. But Brennan said the bullet severed her spinal cord, leaving her in "very critical" condition. The gun used in the shooting has not yet been recovered, University Police and Philadelphia Police said. Philadelphia Police initially responded to the call, and were later joined by University Police. Philadelphia Police arrested Page at the scene. He was still awaiting arraignment at 10 p.m. last night. Page has also been charged with simple assault, recklessly endangering another person and illegal possession of an unlicensed gun. Page will remain in custody at the 18th District of the Philadelphia Police Department until he is arraigned. AMC officials refused to comment on the shooting, although the theater still showed all its scheduled movies. The theater was closed for approximately one hour after the shooting, but was reopened at 4 p.m. Movie theaters nationwide have been the scenes of violence, particularly at movies that deal with racial and urban issues. In the past, audience members at New Jack City, Boyz in the Hood and Colors have erupted into violence, often with weapons. A Philadelphia Police officer at the scene emphasized that the shooting was in The Hand that Rocks the Cradle, a thriller about a deranged nanny who terrorizes a suburban family, not in Juice, which deals with urban life.

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