5 dead in Florida airport shooting; suspect taken into custody

A man wearing a Star Wars T-shirt opened fire at a baggage carousel at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport on Friday, killing at least five people before being taken into custody. [Photo/Xinhua]

A gunman opened fire at a baggage carousel at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport on Friday, killing five people and wounding eightbefore being taken into custody, officials and witnesses said.

The gunman was identified by authorities as Esteban Santiago, 26. They said hehad arrived on a flight from Canada with a checked gun in his bag.He claimed his bag and went to a bathroom where he loaded the gun and came out firing, Broward County Commissioner Chip LaMarca said on Twitter.

The shooter was unharmed as law enforcement officers never fired a shot, Israel said, adding that it was too early to assign a motive.

Santiago was born in New Jersey, law enforcementsources said, and had military ID on him when he was taken into custody. He was carrying a Florida driving license and had a concealed carry permit for his gun, Fox News reported

The shooter, who was wearing a "Star Wars" T-shirt, said nothing as he fired, witnesses told MSNBC.

Cellphone video posted on social media showed victims on the floor next to a carousel, with people on their knees attempting to provide aid. At least two had pools of blood from apparent head wounds.

About 90 minutes after the attack, panic broke out anew with passengers and police running frantically about at a separate terminal, but Israel said there were no other reports of shots being fired.

One person was injured trying to evacuate, which may have triggered the later panic, Israel said. Dozens of police sprinted back and forth withautomatic weapons drawn, and one officer screamed "Get down, get down!" from a nearby parking garage, a Reuters reporter witnessed.

John Schlicher, who told MSNBC he saw the attack, said the shooter was "directly firing at us" while passengers waited for their bags.

"I put my head down and prayed," Schlicher said, adding that his wife gave first aid to someone who had been shot in the head. His mother-in-law used her sweater to tend to another victim but it turned out that person was already dead, he said.

Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport is the second largest in South Florida, serving as an intercontinental gateway, with Miami International Airport known as the primary airport for international flights in the area.

Some 20 miles (30 km) north of Miami, the Fort Lauderdale airport is near cruise line terminals at Port Everglades.