A gunman with a US military identification opened fire at a baggage carousel at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport on Friday (Jan 6) Josh Doctson Redskins Jersey , killing five people before being taken into custody, officials and witnesses said.
Five people died and eight were wounded, Broward County Sheriff Scott Israel told reporters at the airport, where air traffic was shut down.
An injured woman is evacuated after a shooting at the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport. (Photo: Taimy AlvarezSouth Florida Sun-Sentinel via AP)
The gunman had arrived on a flight from Canada with a checked gun in his bag, Broward County Commissioner Chip LaMarca said on Twitter. He claimed his bag and went to the bathroom to load the gun before coming out and firing, LaMarca said.
Cellphone video posted on social media showed victims on the floor next to a carousel, with people on their knees attempting to provide aid. At least two had pools of blood from apparent head wounds.
The shooter was unharmed as law enforcement officers never fired a shot Troy Apke Redskins Jersey , Israel said, adding that it was too early to assign a motive.
"At this point, it looks like he acted alone," Israel said. Nonetheless, he said "this scene is considered fluid and active" as police search the rest of the airport.
Florida Senator Bill Nelson identified the shooter as Esteban Santiago.
"He had a military ID, we don't know if it is current, but every time you get a bunch of people like at baggage claim or like outside of TSA (Transportation Security Administration) where you're going to security or lines at the ticket counter Geron Christian Redskins Jersey , it's a soft target," Nelson told CNN.
A person by the name Esteban Santiago was discharged honourably from the Army National Guard last year, ABC News reported, citing the Army criminal investigation division.
Governor Rick Scott rushed to the airport to be briefed on the shooting, as dozens of police and emergency vehicles converged on the scene.
President-elect Donald Trump said he had just spoken with Scott, and was "monitoring the terrible situation in Florida." "Thoughts and prayers for all. Stay safe!" he tweeted.
Photo courtesy of Taylor Elenburg shows passengers gathering on the tarmac of the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood airport. (Photo: Taylor ElenburgAFP)
President Barack Obama has also been briefed on the developing situation.
The shooter, who wore a "Star Wars" T-shirt Preston Smith Redskins Jersey , said nothing as he fired, witnesses told MSNBC. He appeared to use a 9 mm handgun, which he tossed aside upon running out of ammunition, surrendering to police, MSNBC reported.
The Florida attack was the latest in a series of mass shootings that have plagued the United States in recent years, some inspired by militants with an extreme view of Islam, others who are loners or mentally disturbed who have easy access to weapons under US gun laws.
About 90 minutes after the attack Brandon Scherff Redskins Jersey , panic broke out anew with passengers and police running frantically about at a separate terminal, but Israel said there were no other reports of shots being fired.
One person was injured trying to evacuate, which may have triggered the later panic, Israel said. Dozens of police sprinted back and forth with automatic weapons drawn, and one officer screamed "Get down, get down!" from a nearby parking garage, a Reuters reporter witnessed.
'EVERYBODY STARTED RUNNING'
John Schlicher Montae Nicholson Redskins Jersey , who told MSNBC he saw the attack, described the shooter as a "slender man" who was "directly firing at us" while passengers waited for their bags to come off the carousel.
"I put my head down and prayed," Schlicher said, adding that his wife gave first aid to someone who had been shot in the head. His mother-in-law used her sweater to tend to another victim but it turned out that victim was already dead, Schlicher said.
The shooter reloaded once for a second burst of shooting, Schlicher said, but he could not say how many bullets were fired. The airport said the incident broke out in the baggage claim area of Terminal 2.
Mark Lea Samaje Perine Redskins Jersey , another eyewitness, told MSNBC "there was no rhyme or reason to it." "He didn't say anything, he was quiet the whole time, he didn't yell anything," Lea said.
Several passengers were huddled inside a supply closet at the airport, while awaiting the all-clear.
"We were all here in Terminal 2 at Delta when the shooting started," one of them Fabian Moreau Redskins Jersey , identified only as Duane, told CNN by telephone. "Everybody just scattered. It was mass hysteria," he said.
Ari Fleischer, a former press secretary for US President George W Bush, said on Twitter that shots were fired and "everyone is running."
"All seems calm now but the police aren't letting anyone out of the airport - at least not the area where I am," Fleischer said.
A woman tended to a bleeding, seated man outside an airport building Ryan Anderson Redskins Jersey , according to a photo posted on Twitter by a Michigan information technology company.
A passenger named as Peter Cruise said he believed that travellers on his plane were among the victims. He said he and his family "were walking up the ramp and just passed the checking gate when all a sudden everybody started running."
"I grabbed the kids and took off running down the ramp. Told the flight attendant to let us off the tarmac, we ran to hide behind some luggage carts."
With the initial panic over, Cruise said he and around 600 fellow passengers were now inside the terminal but that no one was being allowed to leave. "Everybody seems to be calm now except for kids," he said.
Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport is the second largest in South Florida, serving as an intercontinental gateway, with Miami International Airport known as the primary airport for international flights in the area.
HISTORY OF SHOOTINGS
Friday's attack comes nearly two months after a former Southwest Airlines worker killed a
Nutrition is. Cheap Jerseys Wholesale Cheap Jerseys China Cheap Jerseys From China Cheap Throwback MLB Jerseys Wholesale Soccer Jerseys From China Wholesale Authentic NHL Jerseys Cheap Jerseys China Wholesale College Jerseys China Cheap Nike NBA Jerseys Cheap MLB Jerseys