A gunman opened fire in the baggage claim area of Terminal 2 at Fort Lauderdale / Hollywood International Airport Friday afternoon, killing at least five people and sparking hours of chaos at the airport.
Law enforcement sources identified the shooter as Esteban Santiago, a 26-year-old man born in New Jersey who was taken into custody unharmed. He was a passenger on flight into the airport with a checked gun, according to reports. The shooter claimed his bag and took the gun from baggage, law enforcement sources said. He loaded it and started shooting people in baggage claim, Lamarca wrote.
A total of 13 people were shot shortly before 1 p.m. ET, Broward Sheriff Scott Israel said in a Friday afternoon news conference. He said investigators were interviewing the gunman. Multiple sources told NBC News that the gunman had a military ID on him.
The shooting started hours of chaos at the airport as police tried to confirmed there wasn't an additional shooter. More than an hour after the attack, people were seen running across the tarmac and sheltering behind cars while police had their guns drawn at a parking garage at the airport. But Sheriff Israel said the only shots fired were at Terminal 2.
"Someone said they heard something that sounded like gunshots," Broward County Mayor Barbara Sharief said on MSNBC of the later police activity.
Witnesses described the mayhem in the baggage claim area.
"I was dodging bullets and trying to help people get out of the way," an eyewitness, Mark Lea, told NBC News.
The Broward Sheriff's Office said they received a call about the shooting around 12:55 p.m. The shooting occurred at the baggage claim inside Terminal 2. Aerial footage later showed a large crowd of people running across the tarmac between terminals while others took cover behind cars - while officials search for another possible shooter. Police were also seen running into a parking garage with guns drawn.
Lea, a 53-year-old financial adviser from Minneapolis, was in the baggage claim when, he said, a man came in and started shooting.
“At first we thought it was firecrackers," he said. “Everyone started screaming and running. The shooter made his way down through baggage claim. He had what looked like a 9mm and emptied his entire clip. People were trying to run.”
Police officers responded less than a minute after the shooting began, Lea said.
“It was absolutely surreal,” he said. “People were scared and frantically running to avoid being shot. People were tripping over each other. They were trying to make a fast exit out of the door.”
John Schlicher, who was in the baggage claim with his wife and mother-in-law, told MSNBC the shooter "walked over and he was right in our area within feet from us shooting people.”
Schlicher, from Columbus, Ohio, described the gunman as a "slender man" with "dark hair.”
“I put my head down and prayed," Schlicher said.
He added that his wife "was holding a sweater up against a man who was shot in the head. She was doing her best to apply pressure to his wounds. The person right next to him was already gone."
Former White House Press Secretary Ari Fleischer, who was traveling from the airport, tweeted about the incident:
President-elect Donald Trump tweeted, "Monitoring the terrible situation in Florida. Just spoke to Governor Scott. Thoughts and prayers for all. Stay safe!"
The ATF said it is responding to the shooting to assist state and local officials. Florida Gov. Rick Scott was traveling to Fort Lauderdale to be briefed by law enforcement, his office said.
The airport has temporarily suspended all services. All flights within 50 miles at the time of the closure were able to land, while the rest were diverted to other airports.
Miami International Airport has also announced that it has added extra security after the incident.
Check back for more on this developing story.
Photo Credit: NBC 6
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