Woman shot near UF campus says shooting was an accident

Weeks after Hannah Hanlon was shot in the abdomen at the University of Florida, she doesn’t blame the man who shot her.

Fabian Marcel Rivera, 24, of Ocala, is charged with attempted murder after police said he shot Hanlon, 19, in the stomach early Sept. 22 near popular bars and restaurants across from the University of Florida and was in Fleeed toward two crowded dormitory buildings.

“He’s a great guy, we’ve known each other for years,” Hanlon wrote in a text message to a reporter. “He was drunk and didn’t know it was loaded, we were just joking.”

The shot destroyed most of her intestines and colon, requiring doctors to cut and reassemble the sections in a two-day operation that lasted a total of 10 hours. The incident also left Hannah Hanlon with nerve damage in her left leg and a fractured pelvis, said her mother, Jennifer Hanlon, 46.

She is recovering at home. Hannah Hanlon requires a walker and constant assistance, from changing bandages to showering. Even with a shower chair and a quick, five-minute rinse, “she almost faints every time,” Jennifer Hanlon said.

Her parents said the shooting left Hannah Hanlon depressed and anxious.

“I think she’s going to have trust issues for the rest of her life,” Jennifer Hanlon said.

Hannah Hanlon said she believes Rivera had no bad intentions. Days after the shooting, she wrote in an Instagram story, “Everything you heard on the news about the shooting is not true, just to tell you.”

Police said the shooting was captured on video. Surveillance footage showed Rivera sitting in the passenger seat of a car and talking to Hannah Hanlon, who was standing outside the driver’s door. Police said that around 3:30 a.m., Rivera grabbed a handgun from the car’s center console, leaned in front of the driver and shot Hannah Hanlon in the abdomen

Cops who saw the surveillance video said Rivera stared at the woman for 30 seconds after he fired, then got out of the car, threw a soda can into some nearby bushes and ran from the scene onto the University of Florida campus .

The driver, who told police he was Hannah Hanlon’s boyfriend, was on the phone during the shooting, according to the arrest report. After hearing the shot, he told police he looked at Rivera and helped Hannah Hanlon. Another man, who said he was also her boyfriend, rushed over when he heard a gunshot and applied pressure to stop the bleeding, he told officers.

After police arrested Rivera, he told officers the shooting was an accident, but they didn’t believe him. He said he tried to secure the gun in the console after seeing it was accessible and realizing everyone had been drinking. He “was unable to answer why the (victim) was shot when he attempted to secure the firearm,” Officer Kristen Hall wrote, adding: “None of (Rivera’s) statements matched what happened.” was seen on the CCTV.”

Rivera told police Hannah Hanlon was “like a little sister” to him. The woman lives less than a mile from Rivera’s home in Ocala. Hannah Hanlon repeated what Rivera had previously told police, saying he didn’t know the gun was loaded.

Rivera remained in jail without bail Wednesday and was charged with attempted murder and a misdemeanor count of resisting arrest. According to UF’s active website, he was not trespassed from the UF campus. He could not be reached for comment because the sheriff’s office prohibits inmates from doing media interviews without written permission from a defense attorney and a senior prison official.

Hannah’s family has not yet seen the security footage, Jennifer Hanlon said, because Rivera’s preliminary hearing was postponed from Sept. 26 to Monday without her knowledge. Without seeing the video, Jennifer still has questions: “I want to believe my daughter, but I’m not sure she understands the severity of it,” she said. “If he’s your friend, why would he take a gun and point it at you?”

There were questions about why Rivera wasn’t already in jail before the shooting: He was arrested in April after being accused of fleeing authorities for speeding in August after a judge said he failed to show up for court. Rivera was released on bail again after his arrest on Aug. 28 – less than four weeks before Sunday’s shooting.

The injuries also place a significant financial burden on the family. Hannah is now unable to work. Jennifer Hanlon, who works as a high school teacher, has been caring for her daughter for two weeks and her father, James Hanlon, 62, is disabled.

To help cover costs for Hannah Hanlon, who is expected to need a walking aid for at least six months, the family has launched a GoFundMe to raise money until Hannah Hanlon can return to work. Anyone interested can donate at: https://gofund.me/9e695014.

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This is breaking news. Check back for further developments. Contact WUFT News at 352-392-6397 or email [email protected].