Corey Arwood,Will GreenleeTreasure Coast Newspapers
INDIAN RIVER COUNTY − An off-duty prison guard shot at a woman multiple times and led law enforcement officers on a cross-counties search Wednesday, that ended, after a low-speed pursuit, in his arrest.
The woman, of Indian River County, was last known to be in stable condition after she was flown to HCA Florida Lawnwood Hospital in Fort Pierce, said Sheriff Eric Flowers.
Wilner Cyprien, 31, of Fort Pierce, who worked with the Florida Department of Correction’s Martin Correctional Institution in Indiantown was arrested around 1:30 p.m. by St. Lucie County deputies at a park off South 10th Street and Florida Avenue in Fort Pierce.
He was charged with attempted first-degree premeditated murder, shooting into a vehicle and firing a deadly weapon without the intent to kill, according to St. Lucie County Sheriff’s Office jail records.
“So far, we believe, at this this time, that this was a love triangle situation,” said Flowers. “He believed that his girlfriend was cheating on him and he believed that shooting this person would exact revenge…”
Cyprien traveled into Indian River County and waited for the woman to arrive at her Walker Woods apartment west of 66th Avenue off 26th Street before firing the shots around 11:40 a.m., Flowers said in a news conference Wednesday evening.
“He approached the vehicle – she recognized that the situation was about to get bad – she tried to drive away and he fired at her through the vehicle – shot her as she was fleeing from the scene,” he said.
Another Walker Woods resident, who said he was sitting outside at the time, described what he saw before and during the shooting.
"He (Cyprien) gets out of the driver side door, he looks at me and he screams, 'Go inside' and then I say 'why'? And then he tells me again to go inside and I just say like 'why?,'" said Timothy Williams, 19. "And then he shrugs his shoulders and ... as the car is backing out he pulls out the gun and shoots three shots into the door."
Williams said he ran inside and soon there were "cops everywhere" and medical personnel caring for the wounded woman.
"I was just kind of taken aback by it," he said. "I didn’t expect a situation like that to escalate that fast and to, like, happen in front of me, but you know, I kept my cool. It was just unexpected, very unexpected..."
There were at least three people, all adults, in the vehicle fired upon by Cyprien, Williams said.
The woman injured by gunfire sustained a non-life threatening bullet wound to the right thigh, Indian River County Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Capt. Joe Abollo said.
“The person (Cyprien) was shooting at was the alleged other person in the love triangle,” said Abollo. “It was not his girlfriend, it was the other person that he thought was getting involved in a relationship.”
Cleveland Clinic Indian River Hospital was placed on a roughly one-hour security lockdown, because officials said it was believed Cyprien might go there seeking out another person thought to be "related to this case."
But Flowers said, “Fortunately, (Cyprien) did flee out of the area."
Detectives gathered information on the vehicle from the roadside automated license plate readers and alerted the St. Lucie County Sheriff’s Office. Deputies in that county located and followed the newer model red Dodge Durango while Cyprien, Flowers said, drove at low speed.
“He had the weapon that was used to his head,” Flowers said.
Deputies used stun guns to incapacitate Cyprien, who Flowers said was taken to a hospital then released to deputies.
On traffic citations out of St. Lucie County, Cyprien's home address is listed as a residence on South 29th Street in Fort Pierce.
“We're assuming he was trying to get close to where he resides, which is south of us,” Abollo said.
At the St. Lucie County Sheriff’s Office he was interviewed by detectives, who said “he ultimately confessed to these crimes.”
Flowers said details about the weapon used were unavailable.
He said they were working with state prosecutors to fully determine what charges Cypriano will face in court, but, so far, Flowers said his charges will likely consist of, at least, attempted murder, aggravated assault, and fleeing and eluding law enforcement officers.
The Florida Department of Corrections' public affairs office said Cyprien, who was hired as a correctional officer at Martin Correctional Institution just over a year ago, was dismissed from his position Thursday, following his arrest.
More: Indian River County halts more money for children's services, but what's the impact?
More: Indian River will consider boosting bed tax 25% to fund beach repair, tourist promotion
More: Best BBQ? Try these 10 best barbecue restaurants and food trucks on the Treasure Coast
Corey Arwood is a breaking news reporter for TCPalm. Follow Corey on Twitter @coreyarwood, or reach him by phone at 772-978-2246.
If you are a subscriber, thank you. If not, become a subscriber to get the latest local news on the Treasure Coast.
