‘He's right outside': Westfield native and FSU freshman describes chaos when active shooter came through
It was 24 minutes until William Bouyea knew his daughter, a freshman at Florida State University, was safe.
For Charlotte Bouyea, 19, a Westfield native, it took a few minutes longer to know if she would live or die on the campus she quickly came to love.
'I can't make noise right now,' Charlotte texted at 12:09 p.m., on Thursday, shortly after an active shooter alert rang out.
'Are you hiding?' her father pressed.
'Yes,' she responded.
'Ok. Lock everything ... I wish I was there. U ok? Ur phone's on silent?' William Bouyea asked, according to texts obtained by The Republican.
'Yeah. He's right outside,' she answered, regarding the student shooter who ambushed the campus.
'Your building?' her dad asked.
'My classroom,' Charlotte, his eldest daughter, answered. She and a teacher and another student barricaded themselves inside a small room where they were taking an elective English class, and tucked themselves into a corner.
'We just grabbed anything we could and shoved it against the door; then we hid,' Charlotte Bouyea said during an interview Friday. 'I was scared. Initially, I thought it was just a fight between two people and someone pulled a gun.'
A former student and stepson of a Florida deputy has been identified as the suspect. He allegedly killed two and injured six, using his stepmother's weapon.
Phoenix Ikner, 20, was ultimately wounded by police and taken into custody. Authorities have not disclosed a potential motive. Ikner arrived on the campus an hour before the shooting when he wandered through the campus green and buildings, firing a handgun shortly before lunchtime, authorities said.
He was shot at noon, according to accounts.
The shootings took place before a 'United Against Hate' march to honor a Florida State student, Maura Binkley, killed in a mass shooting at a nearby studio in 2018.
Family members have identified two food service workers, Robert Morales, and Tiru Chabba, as the dead. Six others were shot and wounded, but are expected to survive.
Charlotte Bouyea, among a student body of tens of thousands, said she did not know Ikner nor any of the dead or injured.
However, she said the campus community is understandably rocked. As students approach their last week of classes and finals, academics were briefly paused and the university community has gathered for vigils.
Among them: A statue in the campus that signals 'unconquerable.'
She also believes attending colleges, unfortunately, may lead to peril.
'It's hard to feel truly safe, going back,' she said. 'I cried. But we lean on each other.'
At 12:33 p.m., William, and his wife Gabby who had been praying, got the assurance they needed.
'We just got evacuated by police. Lots of people are crying. I think I'm safe now.'
Wire service reports were included.
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Yahoo
37 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Hopes of closure fade as police wrap up Madeleine McCann search
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New York Post
5 hours ago
- New York Post
High schooler arrested by ICE on his way to volleyball practice freed after 6 days in ‘humiliating' conditions
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USA Today
6 hours ago
- USA Today
Will public records about death of Emilie Kiser's son be released? What we know.
Will public records about death of Emilie Kiser's son be released? What we know. Show Caption Hide Caption Influencer Emilie Kiser loses 3-year-old son after drowning incident Influencer Emilie Kiser's 3-year-old son Trigg died after a drowning incident in Arizona. Police say he was discovered unconscious in backyard pool. Times of India - English Social media influencer Emilie Kiser's lawsuit pushing to stop the release of public records related to her son's May death is now being litigated in an Arizona court. Kiser's 3-year-old son Trigg died on May 18 after he was pulled from the family's backyard pool in Chandler, Arizona, days earlier, police previously confirmed to USA TODAY. On May 27, Kiser filed a lawsuit in Arizona Superior Court for Maricopa County to keep records about what it referred to as an accidental drowning out of public view. Kiser's attorneys said in the filing that she and her family "desperately want to grieve in private, but sadly, the public will not let them," adding that her son's death "has become a media frenzy." The case is now moving through the court — a hearing was held this week. Here's what we know. Emilie Kiser's son: Trigg's death shows how little privacy influencers get What is Emilie Kiser's lawsuit about? Kiser is suing several public agencies to prohibit officials from releasing public documents related to Trigg's death, including the police report, 911 call and scene photos. According to the initial complaint, Kiser and her counsel have not seen the documents, but they presume they are "exceptionally raw and graphic." The release of such records would "intrude upon personal dignity or cause unnecessary harm" to Kiser and her family, the lawsuit says. "Emilie is trying her best to be there for her surviving son, two-month-old Theodore," the lawsuit says. "But every day is a battle." Gallagher & Kennedy, the firm representing Kiser, has not responded to USA TODAY's requests for comment. Emilie Kiser lawsuit Influencer asks to 'grieve in private.' Why public records could be released anyway. Kiser lawsuit update: Court places temporary ban on release of records The first hearing in Kiser's case was held on June 3. According to The Arizona Republic, part of the USA TODAY Network, Kiser's attorney Kevin O'Malley said during the hearing that some redacted documents are likely "appropriate" for public release. As a result of the hearing, the parties in the case agreed to an interim order prohibiting the dissemination of the public records in question, according to court filings obtained by USA TODAY. This means the records relating to Trigg's death will not be released while the case is litigated in court. The order is meant in part to "prevent the premature public release of sensitive materials," according to the filing. Some agencies dropped from lawsuit Kiser's attorneys also filed a notice to dismiss some agencies from the lawsuit, including the Chandler Police Department, Maricopa County of Vital Registration, Arizona Department of Health, Arizona Department of Health Services Bureau of Vital Records and State Registrar of Vital Statistics, according to court records. The agencies were dismissed from the case because they "have not filed an answer or other responsive pleading in this matter," according to the filing. The remaining defendants in the case are the city of Chandler, Maricopa County, Maricopa County Attorney's Office and Maricopa County Office of the Medical Examiner. The lawsuit also generally lists any individuals who have submitted public records requests in the case as "real parties in interest," meaning they would be affected by the outcome in the case. The Arizona Republic, which filed requests for public records about the investigation into Trigg's death, is the only party so far that has been admitted in the case. Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Christopher Witten ordered Chandler and Maricopa County not to release records to requesters until Kiser and The Republic's lawyers reviewed and discussed their contents. Witten will ultimately decide what records, or portions thereof, are released. Court seals Kiser's declaration Additionally, Witten ordered to seal a declaration Kiser wrote about this case, according to a June 4 minute entry. The document was attached to the initial complaint as a redacted exhibit. By sealing it, the document is now confidential until a court orders otherwise. What are public records? Across the country, documents such as police reports and 911 calls are public record, meaning they must be accessible to the public. Each state has its own laws in place around what kinds of records can be released, but individuals can ask a court to consider sealing records that would ordinarily be public. Kiser's lawsuit said more than 100 requests were filed with the City of Chandler and the Maricopa County Medical Examiner's Office for access to public records related to Trigg's death. USA TODAY filed a request on May 15 — three days after the initial drowning call — with the City of Chandler for access to the police report. In Arizona, officials can redact parts of these documents to protect a victim's rights. A court can also rule to keep public records private if the release could cause "substantial and irreparable private or public harm," according to the Arizona Legislature. Kiser's lawsuit claims that the records have been requested for "commercial purposes," rather than the purpose of monitoring the government. However, Arizona law does not consider requesting records for the purposes of news gathering to be a commercial purpose, according to the Arizona Ombudsman Citizens' Aide. Melina Khan is a national trending reporter for USA TODAY. She can be reached at
