A gunman opened fire Friday afternoon at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport in Florida, shooting at least nine people and killing one, Broward County officials said. Local law enforcement sources say a gunman was in custody.
Initial reports indicate that at least nine people were shot, and three of those victims died from their injuries, reports KFOR. Officials with the Broward Sheriff's Office say that "multiple people" are dead and that one person is in custody. However, they did not elaborate on how many people died from their injuries.
ARTICLE UPDATED 3 P.M. CST WITH NEWLY AVAILABLE DETAILS:
- Five people are dead and nine injured, confirmed U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson, a Florida Democrat.
- Broward County Sheriff's Office personnel said they received a phone call about 12:55 p.m. EST about shots fired at the airport.
- MSNBC reported the gunman is 26-year-old Esteban Santiago, who was taken into custody. He was carrying a military identification. Broward County Sheriff Scott Israel said thesuspect is unharmed, was taken into custody without incident and isbeing questioned. Law enforcement did not fire shots.
- Reports of a second shooter were deemed unfounded.
- Transportation Security Administration representatives said the airport is closed.
The Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood airport, located about 25 miles north of Miami, tweeted the incident occurred at a baggage claim inside Terminal 2.The area of gates D4 and D5 largely services Delta flights, reports USA Today.
In the aftermath of the chaos, cameras outside the airport showed firefighters and other emergency personnel, plus large groups of passengers, standing on a tarmac, reports NBC News.
Federal Aviation Administration representatives did not immediately order an official ground stop at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood, but officials were not letting anyone inside.
Former White House press secretary Ari Fleischer tweeted he was at the airport at the time of the shooting and "everyone is running." He later tweeted that "all seems calm."
A law enforcement expert said authorities will try to determine whether there are other, related plots under way. "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."
