PBC Fire Fighters Benevolent Fund Care of Vazquez Family:
Reported by: Jay Cashmere
Fire trucks rolled out of Station 28 Tuesday amid a somber atmosphere where support trickles in hour by hour.
"It hit home, it's sad, it's very sad," says one supporter.
Flowers adorned with handwritten notes under flags at half mast are the beginning stages of recovery for a unit who lost 42 year old Lieutenant Rafael Vazquez, shot in the back amid the hail of gunfire at a Wendy's restaurant on Monday.
"I saw the gun, that's all I could really get in my mind, when I saw that I dropped, he never said a word, just started firing away."
Captain Ernie Muller, another Palm Beach County Firefighter was there. He had just sat down to eat, had just talked to Vazquez seconds before gunshots rang out.
"When I decided to make that decision to run out, its like it means he's reloading coming around for more and this is gonna be your only chance to get out."
Muller yelled go now, he and other customers crawled out and ran escaping the next round of bullets that would come.
"We deal with this everyday but when it's one of your own I just talked to Ray a minute before it happened, its the toughest thing I've been through."
Vazquez and Muller worked together at Station 28. Both were paramedics with different ranks but shared the same passion to save the lives of others. A trait this devoted husband and father of five will be remembered for.
"He was very proud of his family, very proud of his department and his recent accomplishment of being promoted to Lieutenant. He's a man who loved his family, loved his job he's the kind of firefighter you want to have with you."
If you'd like to assist the Vazquez family send care to: Union Office
2328 S. Congress Avenue
Suite 2C
Palm Springs, 33406
You can also call (561) 969-0729
Checks can also be dropped of at ant Fire Rescue Station. In the comment area, please, make note that the donation is for the Vazquez family.
Victim Updates:
Reported by: WPTV Staff
The autopsy for the random shooter at the West Palm Beach Wendy’s is scheduled to be performed sometime on Wednesday.
Alburn Edward Blake was in his sixties and lived at 247 Wenonah Place Apt #1 in West Palm Beach which is near South Olive and Southern Blvd. People who knew him are saying their shocked he was capable of such malicious behavior before taking his own life.
We have updated information on all four survivors: The identity of one of the survivors was finally released this afternoon. 43-year-old Carl Michalek is from out of state so his identity was kept from the public until this afternoon. His condition is still unknown, but we do know Carl was shot in the upper right arm and he is from Kileen, Texas.
Louis Rader and Antonia Rader a married couple from Jupiter are in stable condition after they were taken to Delray Medical Center. Louis was shot in the arm and leg and Antonia was shot in the arm and ankle.
The 16-year-old girl Vanessa Soto, who was shot in the arm, was transferred from Good Samaritan to St. Mary’s and we are happy to report the Lake Worth girl is in stable condition.
There are two dead from the West Palm Beach Wendy’s shooting. We are sad to report one of them is a 42-year-old PBC fire fighter whose identity has not been released yet.
The Lieutenant Rafael Vazquez, who was taking a lunch break at the busy Military Trail Wendy’s when he was shot and killed was out of uniform at the time. He was under going a mandatory training at the Palm Beach County Fire Rescue headquarters.
He was on a lunch break from the training and left to meet his wife and child who were in the car at the time of the shooting. He had gone into Wendy's for his food and apparently forgot his child's toy. When he walked back in he became the first victim of seven.
The 42-year-old lieutenant was from Battalion two, which is located in the western communities. He was just promoted to lieutenant in January and probably the reason he was in training.
PBSO says the shooter walked out of the bathroom with a nine millimeter weapon. He apparently shot Vasquez dead and then randomly wounded five others.
The call came into officials just after noon from the busy Wendy's restaurant near the airport. The exact location is 1376 North Military Trail, which is not far from Cherry Road south of Okeechobee.
Related Wendy's Shooting Stories:
Statement From Wendy's Concerning W.P.B. Shooting:
This is a terrible and sad day for our restaurant and this community because this is a senseless tragedy. Our deepest thoughts and prayers go out to the victims and their families. We are fully cooperating with the sheriff's office, and our employees have each given statements. Our video cameras have been turned over to the investigators. None of our employees were injured and we are thankful for their safety. Once again, our hearts go out to the victims of this tragedy.
