Five people were killed in a mass shooting in the baggage-claim area of Terminal 2 at Florida's Fort Lauderdale International Airport just before 1 p.m. on Friday, the Broward Sheriff's office said, adding that eight people were transported to the hospital from the airport.
The suspected attacker, identified by Florida Sen. Bill Nelson and other officials as 26-year-0ld Esteban Santiago, was shot by police and taken into custody.
NBC's Pete Williams reported that Santiago had signed up to serve in the National Guard in August 2016 and had been living in Alaska. He was born in New Jersey, Williams reported, and his family was originally from Puerto Rico.
The suspect is being interviewed by a team of FBI agents and homicide detectives, Broward County Sheriff Scott Israel said in a press conference. He confirmed that there were no additional incidents in any of the other terminals.
"At this point it looks like he acted alone," he said of the suspect.
BREAKING: Photos of alleged Fort Lauderdale Airport shooter Esteban Santiago, law enforcement sources tell CBS https://t.co/eE2vxuwNJG pic.twitter.com/oPYf34Y32L
— CBS Evening News (@CBSEveningNews) January 6, 2017 The suspect was apparently receiving some form of psychological treatment while in Alaska, according to The Associated Press, which cited the suspect's brother, Bryan Santiago. He told the newswire service that his family received a call "in recent months" from the suspect's girlfriend who informed them of the situation.
He did not specify what type of treatment the suspect may been receiving.
Santiago, who was born in New Jersey but grew up in Puerto Rico, served in Puerto Rico's National Guard and was deployed to Iraq in 2010. His aunt, who lives in New Jersey, told reporters that Santiago had started acting strangely when he returned from Iraq, and about a month ago "lost his mind."
"He said he saw things," she said.
Santiago served in the Alaska National Guard when he moved to Anchorage in 2014, butreceived a "general discharge" from in August for "unsatisfactory performance."
Shooter may have flown in from Alaska
Santiago apparently flew in to Fort Lauderdale from Anchorage, Alaska via Minneapolis-St. Paul on Delta, according to NBC.
He checked the handgun he used in the shooting in his luggage and, upon claiming his bag at baggage claim, went into the bathroom to load it, Broward County Commissioner Chip LaMarca wrote on Facebook. He then came out shooting.
The Transportation Security Administration allows passengers to transport unloaded firearms in a locked, hard-sided container "as checked baggage only," according to its website.
"Only the passenger should retain the key or combination to the lock" on the container, the guidelines state, and the firearm must be declared "each time you present it for transport as checked baggage."
LaMarca wrote soon after the shooting that the gunman had arrived at the Fort Lauderdale airport on a Canadian flight, but Air Canada said on Twitter that it had "no record of a passenger by the name Esteban Santiago, or checked guns, on any of our flights to Fort Lauderdale."
All services at the airport have temporarily been suspended.
'Execution-style' murder
Video released from inside the baggage claim area appears to show the aftermath of the shooting at Terminal 2. A witness told CBC that the gunman shot several people "execution-style" as they waited for their bags.
The attacker was wearing a dark blue T-shirt and was silent as he opened fire with a handgun, witnesses told MSNBC. He had time to reload as he shot people in the head, one witness said, but "threw down his gun and laid on the ground spread eagle" after he ran out of ammunition.
Video released from inside Fort Lauderdale airport baggage claim area pic.twitter.com/QVfWnhhNiE
— WSVN 7 News (@wsvn) January 6, 2017
A witness to the shooting shared a graphic photo on Twitter that showed a man bleeding on the lower level of the airport.
Shots fired at FLL airport. Guy is bleeding profusely. Supposedly others are shot on the lower level at Delta Term 2. pic.twitter.com/UcL73Y8yGx
— Maxwill Solutions (@MxWllSolutions) January 6, 2017 Florida Gov. Rick Scott traveled to the airport to be briefed on the attack. Florida Sen. Marco Rubio tweeted that he is "praying for the victims and everyone at the #FortLauderdale airport. #FLL."
President-elect Donald Trump tweeted that he is "monitoring the terrible situation in Florida. Just spoke to Governor Scott. Thoughts and prayers for all. Stay safe!"
President Barack Obama was briefed on the shooting, the White House said.
The Federal Aviation Authority issued a ground stop for all flights at Fort Lauderdale airport, one of the country's busiest transport hubs. The airport is in South Florida's Broward County, about 30 miles north of Miami.
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