26 minutes of fear and mania: What really happened the day Romen Phelps died at Dreyfoos
Here's a timeline from the West Palm Beach police dispatch log after Romen Phelps crashed his van May 13, 2022, on the campus of Dreyfoos School of the Arts until he died on the school theater's stage 26 minutes later. West Palm Beach police Sgt. Christopher Nagel, who was off-duty but responded to calls for assistance, shot Phelps to death on the stage. The shooting was ruled justified by Palm Beach County State Attorney Dave Aronberg.
11:53:51 a.m.: Phelps' van strikes a tree on the Dreyfoos campus. A few people in the parking lot begin to react. The damaged tree falls over. Phelps comes into view. He walks from the van past an aluminum-covered sidewalk and into a parking lot.
11:59:13 a.m.: A call from the school board to the West Palm police dispatch center reports a single-vehicle crash. Few details are known other than a vehicle struck a tree.
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11:59:19 a.m.: Update from school police — the van's driver has not been found.
12:02 p.m.: A second call to West Palm Beach police requests backup for school police officer Ellen Bango. The request was for West Palm officers to "step it up," Bango needed help. No specifics about exactly what was happening were provided.
12:04:18 p.m.: Off-duty Sgt. Christopher Nagel uses his police radio to advise his dispatch center that he had arrived on the campus. Nagel is very close to the school when he hears the call for backup and is there within two minutes. He gets out of his truck and begins looking for the school police officer and the intruder.
12:04:41 p.m.: Nagel radios an update. He has checked the white van. There is no report of gunfire. He begins his search for the van's driver. Medics have arrived.
12:06:40 p.m.: Nagel radios an update — he is trying to find the school police officer.
12:07:16 p.m.: Nagel's update via radio — the van's driver is somewhere on campus but has not been found.
12:10:25: Nagel's radio update — he is inside building 7 (the theater, where the shooting will occur).
12:12:04: p.m. Nagel's radio update — "shots fired."
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12:13:18 p.m.: Nagel's radio update — medics are needed at the theater in Meyer Hall.
12:13:46 p.m.: Nagel's radio update — He is OK. Area is secure.
12:14:02 p.m.: Nagel update — he is applying pressure to Phelps' wound.
12:14:43 p.m.: Nagel radio update — gunshot wound to the chest.
12:18:24 p.m.: Medics are in the Meyer Hall Theater.
12:20:14 p.m.: West Palm officer Haley Nine's radio update — Phelps' death is pronounced at 12:19 p.m.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Romen Phelps death in shooting Dreyfoos School of the Arts: Fear, mania
