'Love triangle situation': Off-duty correctional officer shoots woman in Florida

An off-duty corrections officer in Florida is behind bars after authorities said he shot a woman multiple times in a "love triangle situation."

Sheriff Eric Flowers of the Indian River County Sheriff's Office said deputies responded to a shooting at the Walker Woods Apartment Complex late Wednesday morning.

When deputies arrived at the scene, they found a woman who had been shot multiple times. She was airlifted to Lawnwood Hospital, where she is in stable condition.

Flowers said the suspect, 31-year-old Wilner Cyprien, was waiting inside the apartment for the woman. When she arrived inside, she saw Cyprien. At some point, the woman ran to her car to drive away but Cyprein shot into the car multiple times.

He approached the vehicle and she recognized that the situation was about to get bad and tried to drive away," Flowers said. "He fired at her through the vehicle, shot her as she was fleeing from the scene."

Flowers said Cyprien is a Martin Correctional Institution officer. Flowers said Cyprien was not an Indian River County resident, adding that he was simply waiting for the woman inside her apartment.

The sheriff's office said Cyprien immediately fled the scene. License plate readers caught Cyprien's red Dodge Durango in St. Lucie County. A low-speed pursuit began as SLC deputies caught up with Cyprien. During the entire chase, Cyprien had the gun he used in the shooting to his head. Sheriff Flowers said he was threatening to commit suicide.

The sheriff's office said Cyprien was taken into custody by deputies around 1:30 p.m. EDT at a park.

We believe at this time that this is a love triangle situation," Flowers said of the shooting.

The sheriff's office said a person related to the case was at the hospital where the woman was and believed Cyprien was coming for the victim. As a precaution, the hospital was placed under lockdown for over an hour, but Cyprien never arrived.

The St. Lucie County Sheriff's Office said said Cyprien was booked and is awaiting transfer to the Indian River County jail.

Cyprien was charged with attempted murder, aggravated assault, fleeing/eluding law enforcement, among other pending charges.