5 Dead, 8 Injured In Ft. Lauderdale International Airport Shooting

There was a shooting on Friday at Ft. Lauderdale International Airport in Florida, the International Business Times has reported. Five people have been shot dead and eight suffered injuries, according to breaking news from ABC. The shooter has been identified as Esteban Santiago and law enforcement officials have confirmed that the suspect is now in custody.

Jeff Weinsier, a Local 10 News reporter, was reporting at the airport when law enforcement officials entered a parking garage and captured the suspect. ABC have said that there may be a second shooter in the parking garage.

CNBC have said that the Transportation Security Administration has warned people at the Ft. Lauderdale International Airport to seek shelter as there may now be another active shooter situation in progress. The Broward County Sheriff’s Office said at 2:50 p.m. EST there had been unconfirmed reports of other shots fired elsewhere on airport property and stated that they were in the middle of conducting a search.

Deputies have said that a “number of people” have been transported to the hospital after the shooting earlier today.

NBC News’ Brad Jaffy was at the Ft. Lauderdale International Airport when the shooting occurred and stated that there were nine shot at the time that he tweeted his message.

NBC NEWS: 9 people shot, 1 dead at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport; shooter is in custody, law enforcement sources say

— Bradd Jaffy (@BraddJaffy) January 6, 2017

The shooting incident is alleged to have started at 1 p.m. EST at a baggage claim that is located in Terminal 2 of the Ft. Lauderdale International Airport. As chaos after the shooting ensued, cameras, which were outside of the airport, showed firefighters and emergency services, along with many passengers, standing outside on the tarmac.

NBC reported that while the Federal Aviation Administration were not ordering an official ground stop outside of the airport, officials were refusing to let anybody go inside for safety reasons, and hundreds of passengers and workers at the airport were huddled outside while law enforcement officials were working to capture the shooting suspect.

CBS Miami said a traveler named Ben was attempting to catch a shuttle as the shooting occurred.

“People yelling, people screaming, everyone in a big pack just running as far as possible away from the shots. Our bus driver wasn’t sure what was going on, he was asking, ‘What’s happening? What’s going on?’ But no one was answering because everyone was in a rush to get safe.”

Earlier tweets that occurred right after the shooting included former White House press secretary Ari Fleischer, who tweeted, “I’m at the Ft. Lauderdale Airport. Shots have been fired. Everyone is running.” Fleischer also said at the time that there was one shooter and five victims involved.

I’m at the Ft. Lauderdale Airport. Shots have been fired. Everyone is running.

— Ari Fleischer (@AriFleischer) January 6, 2017

Other people have been tweeting about the Ft. Lauderdale International Airport shooting this Friday, with one poster saying that passengers were all forced to get back on the plane that they had been traveling on, according to news at RT.

“Holy crap. Shooter at airport in ft Lauderdale. We were just about to get off plane and they made everyone get back on plane.”

Donald Trump tweeted that he was monitoring the situation occurring in Florida and sent his “thoughts and prayers to all.”

The Ft. Lauderdale International airport is 25 miles north of Miami. Airport officials have said that services at Ft. Lauderdale International Airport are all temporarily suspended.

[Featured Image by Joe Raedle/Getty Images]