WND: 5 dead, at least 8 injured in shooting at Fort Lauderdale airport
1 suspect in custody, police investigating possible 2nd shooter
01/06/2017 at 3:10 PM
A gunman opened fire Friday afternoon just before 1 p.m. at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport in Florida, killing five people and injuring at least eight others, reported NBC News.
One suspect is in custody, according to WSVN-TV.
U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson, D-Fla., told Fox News the suspect has been identified as Estevan Santiago, 26, who was carrying a military I.D.
At 2:33 p.m., the airport apparently came under a second attack. TSA issued an alert via Twitter: “Active shooter at FLL. Shelter in place. Airport closed.”
Broward County Sheriff’s office issued a statement saying there “may be” another attack, adding “We are investigating.”
Whether there was an actual second attack, or a panic based on a noise that sounded like gunfire, was unclear.
Nelson said Santiago emptied three magazines from his pistol and then police ordered him to sit down, which he did.
Airport officials took to Twitter to announce an “ongoing incident” in the baggage claim area of Terminal 2.
Most reports are that four people have been shot dead with multiple others injured, perhaps as many as 13.
A witness, John Schlicher, told Fox News a lone shooter wearing a Star Wars t-shirt opened fire at 12:55 p.m. on people inside the baggage claim area in Terminal 2.
“I looked over and saw blood just pooling underneath people and I knew it was real,” Schlicher said. “It was oddly quiet as it happened.”
He said the shooter aimed for people’s heads with his shots, shooting several wounded after they fallen to the ground.
“All the people seemed to be shot in the head,” Schlicher said.
“He was shooting people who were down on the ground too.”
Then, shortly before 2:30 p.m., more shots were heard around the parking garage for Terminal 1, which was then evacuated.
People were seen on video in full sprint running out of the airport terminal.
See video taken inside baggage-claim area:
Former White House Press Secretary Ari Fleischer tweeted he was at the airport and that shots were fired. He said “everyone is running.”
Aerial footage from TV affiliates shows large groups of people standing outside on the tarmac.
A man lies bleeding from a gunshot wound outside baggage area following an active shooting incident that happened about 1 p.m. Friday, Jan. 6, 2017
A man lies bleeding from a gunshot wound outside baggage area following an active shooting incident that happened about 1 p.m. Friday, Jan. 6, 2017
“You’re trying to understand, is this a one-off guy? Regardless of motive, is he alone, or is there something else?” law-enforcement expert Jim Cavanaugh told MSNBC. “We hate to think that way, but that’s the requirement for police commanders — to think that way.”
The airport is the 22nd busiest in the United States and serves 21 different airlines.
Developing …
