On Friday afternoon, a shooting occurred at the airport in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Five people have died and thirteen were taken to the hospital.
The shooting was in the baggage claim area in Terminal 2. The shooter is in custody, but his name and motive have not been revealed yet.
Part of the airport was evacuated. Most of the flights are being delayed or diverted.
The first call came at 12:55p.m. EST.
"Everybody started running…I just ran" says witness separated from her family after Ft. Lauderdale shooting https://t.co/LN93bBnwRT
— CNN Newsroom (@CNNnewsroom) January 6, 2017
The FAA said that airborne flights that are within 50 miles of the airport are allowed to land.
✈️ TRAFFIC ALERT: FAA Statement on @FLLFlyer status: pic.twitter.com/fX9jXWFCMv
— The FAA (@FAANews) January 6, 2017
Witness Mark Lea, 53, said:
“At first we thought it was firecrackers. Everyone started screaming and running. The shooter made his way down through baggage claim. He had what looked like a 9 mm and emptied his entire clip. People were trying to run.”
The gunman didn’t say anything to anyone, and he wasn’t targeting anyone. He emptied his clip, and then reloaded before he was stopped by police.
Law enforcement expert Jim Cavanaugh told MSNBC:
“You’re trying to understand, is this a one-off guy? Regardless of motive, is he alone, or is there something else? We hate to think that way, but that’s the requirement for police commanders — to think that way.”
Around 3 p.m. EST, police were searching the airport again because there were “unconfirmed reports” of gunfire somewhere else in the building. Reporters and other people were talking about another incident at a different terminal in the airport.
In Ft. Lauderdale. Monitoring the shooting with law enforcement. Spoke to @realDonaldTrump, FL airports about security and safety.
— Rick Scott (@FLGovScott) January 6, 2017
Florida Governor Rick Scott is in the area and is being briefed on the situation.
Fort Lauderdale Mayor John P. “Jack” Seller said in a statement:
“We have our units on site and around the perimeter to provide assistance and support, and we remain ready, willing, and able to provide additional assistance, support and resources. Our community extends its thoughts, prayers, and support to the victims and their families.”
Featured image via YouTube screenshot
