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IT WAS THE wedding that should never have happened—at least not in Jean Ville, Louisiana in 1984. More than four hundred guests responded to the two hundred invitations sent to announce the nuptials of Susanna Burton and Rodney Thibault at St. Alphonse's Catholic Church on June 30. Most of the people in the congregation were natives of Toussaint Parish and had never seen a mixed-race couple, especially one so blatantly willing to expose their relationship in public.
Whispers filtered through the crowd as Senator Robert James Burton escorted his daughter down the aisle, then shook hands with Major Thibault, who'd recently retired from the US Army JAG Corps after ten years of service. The retired state senator took his seat behind his estranged wife, Anne Baylor Burton, who sat on the first pew with her escort from Houston.
Normally an article about such a high-profile wedding would include a description of the bride's gown, which was a white, floor-length, full-skirted, and full-sleeved version of Lara's attire in Dr. Zhivago, a popular movie from the 1960s. This narrative should also mention that the bridesmaids were the couple's daughter, Lilly Franklin, sixteen, the bride's half-sister, Marianne Massey, and full sister, Abigail Burton who all wore floor-length fuchsia taffeta gowns, also with full sleeves, a la Lara. Miss Franklin was unescorted. Miss Massey was escorted by Thibault's brother, Jeffrey, a local attorney, and Ms. Burton by Joseph Franklin, Miss Franklin's adoptive father who resides in New York City.
The names of those in the wedding party, and the abundance of lilies that filled the air with a sweet perfume would be important details in a high-profile wedding such as this one, but that's not the case here.
It's what happened after the couple said, "I do," and kissed, in front of a mostly white crowd, that is the real story.
When Major Thibault and the daughter of Senator Burton walked through the double doors of the church into the hot and humid sunny day just after 1:00 in the afternoon, shots rang out. Two shots, to be exact, according to those who witnessed an old, blue, pickup truck speed away with two men allegedly in the cab.
Interviews with those willing to discuss the shooting indicate that both shots hit the major as he fell on top of Susie Burton-Thibault in an effort to protect her from the bullets.
"It was as though he had a premonition," said Jeffrey Thibault, who was just behind Lilly Franklin as the wedding party marched out of the church. Miss Franklin was too disturbed to answer questions.
Confusion was the order of the day as Miss Massey, a registered nurse who works at Jean Ville Hospital, summoned Dr. David Switzer from the church to attend the victims. Blood poured from Thibault onto his wife in such a way that no one could tell who was bleeding, or whether they both were, as Susie's long, red hair matted to the concrete.
The bride seemed to gasp for air, then made an effort at slow, easy breaths to calm herself. The groom lay very still on top of his wife. Not a muscle moved, but in those first few minutes, witnesses said they knew he was alive because there was a slight rise and fall of his back. It was not evident whether Susie was breathing until the two groomsmen rolled the major off his wife and she gasped, taking in a deep breath.
Senator Burton and Mrs. Anne Burton, who'd stood over the couple like immovable statues, inhaled deeply when their daughter took that breath, then began to retch and vomit on the concrete.
Sirens, piercing and loud, burned through the air outside the church as anxious guests strained to see what was happening. Gurneys appeared and the victims were strapped on and transported to the two waiting emergency vehicles parked in front of the church.
Dr. Switzer climbed into the back of one of the ambulances with Major Thibault while Marianne Massey and Lilly Franklin accompanied Susanna Burton-Thibault in the second unit. City and parish police officers and firemen were at the scene and milled around talking to the attendees, asking questions, taking notes.
One of the two ambulances took Burton-Thibault to Jean Ville Hospital. Major Thibault was driven to Alexandria Regional Hospital; however, due to the serious nature of his condition, he was airlifted to Ochsner Medical Center in New Orleans.
There are no reports as to the condition of either of the victims.