I-Team: Chicopee standoff victim speaks

CHICOPEE, Mass. (WWLP) - Months after her terrifying ordeal, the woman at the center of a Chicopee shooting spree speaks publicly for the first time and talks exclusively to 22News.

The stand-off lasted for hours, and when it was over, the gunman was dead, and a state trooper had been shot.

• Photos: Chicopee Standoff

Like most victims of domestic violence, this woman wants her name and identity to remain private.

"I remember April 13th, it was a Friday at 7:45," she told the 22News I-Team. "I didn't expect what happened that morning."

Until it took a dramatic turn.

Carlos Laguer went on a shooting rampage as people were heading to work. He shot and wounded State Trooper John Vazquez before turning his gun on himself.

The details of that day, we've heard through police reports and witnesses who caught a glimpse of the chaos. We haven't heard from the woman directly involved, the gunman's ex-girlfriend who lived in this house. We haven't heard from her until now.

"When I saw the gun, I said I'm going to die today. I'm dying today," she said.

She says she had a restraining order out against her ex-boyfriend, Carlos Laguer, but he was still calling her.

"I got two phone calls, declined those calls and turned my phone off," she told 22News.

A decision that prevented her from seeing the warning signs, he was coming. He sent her text messages she wouldn't see until after the ordeal.

"I received tons of messages saying that I was his, no one is going to have me. Then there was another text with 666," she said. "You'll leave when I decide that you'll leave and when you do the whole world will be crying, that was the last text, goodbye my love."

Luckily, she and her 8-year-old son made it through that morning's violence alive, but seven months later, they're still haunted by what happened.

"When I look at 7:45, the number 13, those are things I have to deal with. They don't just go away."

Now she wants other women in similar situations to know, it's not their fault. 

"I didn't ask for that. I don't think any woman when they're leaving a situation like that, asks for something like that."

She acknowledges all those who helped her, and paid a price as her ex-boyfriend's life came to a dramatic end.

"I thank them for being so courageous, they did that for me they did it for everyone out there. If I had the longest arms I would hug everyone who had to go through that day with me.

She was someone trying to escape an unhealthy relationship.

If you, or someone you know needs help in a similar situation, there is help available .